When conducting business, it is inevitable that you will have to deal with legal matters—especially if the business is a legal firm. There will be legal agreements and contracts to be reviewed and signed, to name just a few.
Therefore, the accurate legal translation of documents is critical. Errors will put the business and individuals involved at serious risk for legal battles that could have been avoided. When a legal document is translated incorrectly, the document will lose its meaning and possibly eliminate any benefits that were intended. The document will be rendered completely useless.
Pay Now or Pay More Later
Yes, legal translation services can be expensive. However, the price of costly errors may be much higher. Errors can cost a business its reputation and cause delays and irreparable damage to the clients who are negatively affected.
Examples of Legal Translations Gone Wrong
The following are examples of consequences brought on by legal translations gone wrong:
- Facts are erroneously characterized in translated documents.
- Delays in a legal proceeding can result in lost opportunities.
- Attorneys and other individuals may face increased unnecessary costs such as court penalties and fines.
- Whole document sections or complaints may be dismissed by judges, thereby weakening the case.
- A translated document may be challenged by another party.
- Judges and other legal professionals view you and your case negatively.
- There is a loss of confidence by legal agency partners, the courts, and opposing parties that could gain an advantage against you.
- Your firm could suffer damage to its reputation and compromised success.
- Misinterpretation of contract wording could be unfavorable to your firm.
- There is a risk of a potential lawsuit if you unwittingly breach a contract in the future.
Choosing a Legal Translation Service
Hiring a professional translation provider ensures that all of the content is accurately translated to protect yourself and your organization from detrimental consequences that may arise from avoidable errors. Legal translators should have exceptional skills in the languages required and the ability to handle the complexities of legal content.
Crucial Skills for Legal Translators
When you are choosing a professional translation agency, it’s crucial that their legal translation team offers the following skills:
- The translator is not just fluent in the target language you need to be translated but is a native-speaking expert.
- They offer localization. It is very important that the translator understands the subtleties in the target language based on the region.
- They are familiar with the specific legal writing style in both languages.
- There is at least one translator working on the project with a legal background and expert knowledge about both countries’ legal systems.
- They are able to research legal concepts when not immediately accessible. A professional translation service should have a substantial database of resources for research purposes.
- They are fully capable of understanding the terminology, purpose, and concepts in the original document.
- They are able to decode the source language text and convey the original meaning of the translated text accurately.
- They are capable of understanding the intended use and purpose of the translated document.
- They have experience in translating lengthy technical documents.
- They offer a guaranteed quality assurance process to avoid any surprises later. You don’t want to find out that your documents are poorly translated when you are in court.
Legal Document Translation Services
Because the law is one of the most difficult industries for translators, you need a translator who has legal experience specific to your project(s). As indicated here, choosing a reputable translator will save you money and prevent harm to your reputation and success down the line.
Not sure if your document needs translation? Let’s find out together. Protect yourself with our professional legal translation services. At LinguaLinx, we maintain the highest standard for our translation process in order to eliminate errors.
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