What does legal translation mean?

Sworn Legal Translation refers to a type of translation that is performed by a legally authorized translator or translation agency. This type of translation is typically required for official documents and legal proceedings where accuracy and authenticity are critical. There are several situations when sworn translation may be needed, such as when applying for a foreign driving license, obtaining a visa, drafting a will, setting up a company in a foreign country, writing a power of attorney, or submitting documents to a court in a foreign country where the language of the documents is different from the official language of the country. In these cases, a sworn translation is necessary to ensure that the translated documents are legally recognized and accepted.

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Legal translation refers to the process of translating legal documents and texts from one language to another while maintaining their accuracy, clarity, and legal validity. It is a specialized field of translation that requires a deep understanding of both the source and target legal systems, as well as expertise in the language pair being translated.

Legal documents can encompass a wide range of materials, including contracts, agreements, court judgments, statutes, regulations, wills, patents, and more. The importance of accurate legal translation cannot be overstated, as even small errors or misinterpretations in translated legal texts can have significant legal, financial, or even personal consequences.

Key aspects of legal translation include:

  1. Legal Terminology: Legal texts are filled with specialized terminology that may not have direct equivalents in other languages. Translators must be well-versed in the legal terminology of both the source and target languages to ensure precise translation.
  2. Cultural and Jurisdictional Differences: Legal systems and practices can vary significantly from one country or jurisdiction to another. Translators must be aware of these differences to accurately convey the intended meaning and context of legal documents.
  3. Clarity and Precision: Legal documents must be translated with utmost clarity and precision to avoid any ambiguity. Translators must strive for a literal translation wherever possible, but they may need to make adjustments to ensure the translated text makes sense within the target legal system.
  4. Confidentiality: Legal documents often contain sensitive and confidential information. Translators must adhere to strict confidentiality and ethical standards to protect the privacy and integrity of the documents they handle.
  5. Certification: In many cases, legal translations may need to be certified or notarized to be accepted by government agencies, courts, or other legal authorities. Certified translations are typically accompanied by a signed statement from the translator affirming the accuracy of the translation.

Overall, legal translation is a highly specialized and demanding field that requires not only linguistic skills but also a deep understanding of the legal systems involved. It plays a crucial role in facilitating international legal communication and ensuring that individuals and organizations can navigate legal processes in different languages and jurisdictions.

Although law in general, exist to preserve fundamental rights and freedoms of people and are set to regulate the relationship among natural entities or legal entities, judiciary and legal systems typically differ greatly from one country to another. Therefore, legal translation requires more than just rendering a document in a foreign language. In addition to the specific terminology and style used, legal texts usually include some special references to the legal system of the related country. That’s why working with expert translators who are familiar with the legal system of the target country is significant in receiving accurate and correct legal translations. Even a minor error and mistake in legal document translations may result in serious consequences. Therefore, the accuracy and quality of the translated text should be the two most important factors to be taken into account. As a professional translation agency, we have a quality department dedicated to increase the quality of the translations we deliver with the additional quality control processes we implement. As a Yeminli Tercüman we provide notarized translation services in 55 languages of the world.

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