Life is full of choices. Some are good; some seem good but at the end of the day we find that what we thought was a great bargain for our money or a wise choice made because of the suggestion of an associate turns out to be a nightmare! For example: Let’s assume you have a document that needs to be translated to a different language. Here, you have two choices: You may go to a self-proclaimed freelancer who has a great sales pitch (but maybe nothing else to offer) or you may approach a reputable company that follows industry standards. Costs of working with a freelancer will be more affordable, but the risks are much greater! Here’s a true anecdote of a poor choice made when choosing a translator. Coors Beer, a subsidiary of Molson-Coors, came up with a great slogan, “Turn it Loose.” It was incorrectly translated through some international media channels as “Suffer from Diarrhea.” That’s a nightmare and yes, a very poor choice!

When considering translating legal documents, there really isn’t any other choice except for working with certified and experienced translators. There is something called “The culture of the land,” and law is very dependent on it. I won’t turn this into a law lesson, so just follow along. Since law is very dependent on culture and in even more so dependent on the particular subject being addressed in the document, sloppy or inaccurate translation may have very serious consequences in the end. That is why companies of any size that don’t want to end up making a mistake like Molson-Coors did will utilize the skills and talents of reputable translation companies that not only work with certified and experienced translators, but also have translators who are very educated in international law (and quite often themselves have been to law school).

When is legal translation required? Legal translation may be required by any company, business or legal entity (or individual), though most of the time they are required by law offices and courts for things such as court hearings that are taking place on an international stage, so to speak. In cases like this, where lawyers are dealing with foreign documents, legal translation services are mandatory.

Even more importantly, if the translated document is to be considered “legally valid” in another country, it has to be translated and “legally certified” by what is called a \”sworn translator\”.

A sworn translator is someone who has been certified in their own country’s government with what is called “The power to execute a sworn translation.” This is not the same as a certified translation, though. In the latter case, the translator is (assumed to be) highly competent and is a member of a nationally recognized association, such as The American Translators Association. Going this route may offer a guarantee of the quality of work, but it is important to know in this case it is not legally binding. The translation may have been done well, but it will not be legally binding or as some legal experts say, “It will not have any teeth to it.” A legitimate, reliable legal translation company will provide you with a translated document that bears what is called the seal of a local civil court which identifies the translator as being a sworn translator. You don’t need to worry about what the seal is and how it works, just know that if you have it, you’re good to go! Any translation that is done by a sworn translator may be regarded as a legal document when it bears that official seal and signature. The document will be signed and sealed in this way on every page.

Sometimes, businesses need legal translation services only for specific documents that require legal validity in a foreign countries language. Example: A translated birth certificate; degree certificate; patent certificate, or a company’s Articles of Association require legal translation services when they are translated into a foreign language. Only after that is done can those documents be accepted as being “legally valid” in the foreign country.

As businesses grow, the demand for legal translation of corporate documents is on the rise. Sworn translations will probably be rather expensive but because of the requirement of accuracy and legal validity they can be costly. But it’s worth it. Smart businesses are happy to shell out the money for the proper legal translation. Better safe than sorry, especially for legal documents. If you doubt that, just ask the corporate executives at Molson-Coors.

Author Bio: Charlene Lacandazo works for Rosetta Translation, a leading leading legal translation agency, whose strengths include patent translation.

Category: Legal
Keywords: legal translation, legal translation services, legal translators, legal translation agencies