Legal documents certainly aren’t known for being easy to read. They’re written in a vocabulary that’s meant to be specific and concise yet often comes across as convoluted and confusing to laymen. You may have wondered why your lawyer or any other legal professional you are working with would insist on having their documents translated by a qualified professional from the same region of the world. A Spanish translation agency found that many clients want their legal documents, including court papers, translated by a professional translator into their native language. There are many reasons for this, and we’re going to look at just some of them here.
Complex Terminology and Vocabulary
Some legal documents are written in a very specific kind of vocabulary, and you’re unlikely to understand them as well as a translator does. For example, many legal documents include Latin terms for some laws and procedures. In other cases, you may have to deal with complex legal terms difficult for laypeople to understand, much less translate. So it’s best to find a legal translation company that can help you translate.
The Law Requires It
You’ll want to translate more than just your own documents if you live in a country where English isn’t the official language; for example, Germany requires domestic companies to put in translations of every contract they sign into German, and Austria has its law requiring business operating agreements be translated into German and English at least once a year. So, regardless of whether you’re an immigrant or just visiting the country, you may have to translate a few documents before you head home.
Google Translate is Not a Licensed Legal Practitioner, and Neither Are Most Humans.
Many translation companies offer online translation tools for you to read, but these are meant for individuals who want to use them in their own time. They’re not legal documents; they don’t carry the same kind of weight as a written document. And to be fair, even lawyers don’t rely on online tools when drafting up legal documents because those instruments of expression offer no protection against what’s said about them. You should get a professional legal translator for your documents because only then can you have true peace of mind every time you sign one of them
Protects You From Malpractice
A legal malpractice lawsuit is expensive and complicated; if you’re not getting the legal advice you need to protect yourself, an error in translation could be the thing that gets you into deep water. For example, you might have signed a contract – without your lawyer’s help – that you thought said one thing but ended up saying another, and your business could be held liable. So it is important to make sure with the experience to do it right every time.
Credibility
When you’re using a translator, you want an expert in your language from the country your documents are meant for. Trying to translate your legal documents yourself may save you money, but it could cost you much more in credibility when you fail to double-check and make sure that what you’re signing is legal and binding. You may think a simple document like a rental agreement isn’t that important, but ignoring it could land you in legal trouble.
It Allows for Personal Help
One of the advantages of dealing with a translation service is that you can be as specific as you want about what needs to be translated; for example, if you just need general information translated, your provider can provide that without actually translating every word document. So if they’re able to find a solution that works for you, they’ll do it; otherwise, they’ll try and find someone else who can help.
Your Friend is Good, But Probably Not That Good
If you’re going to get one of your friends to translate for you, it’s important that they truly understand what they are translating. Experienced translators have studied the language pair they’re working with for years before starting working in the field, so not everyone has had that kind of training.
Additionally, your friend might know all the slang and conversational nuances, but legal terminology probably doesn’t come up in their everyday chit-chat. So, while they may understand many of the words, they might not understand the legal connotations and courtesies that a translator who has studied law would.
Legal translation is an important skill since it helps you and your business avoid potential legal problems down the road; whether you’re thinking about the advantages or disadvantages of hiring a service provider or you’re already using one, don’t forget to check their qualifications before signing any kind of document.
Author Bio: Rachael is a content writer at DrWatson, who has written on a Ultimate Resume Guide, from colored diamonds to SEO software, cbd oil vape In her spare time, she enjoys singing, sketching, cooking, and video games.