Translation is the process of changing text from a source language to a target language with equivalent meaning. There are many forms of translation, one being legal translation which we will understand in detail in this article. It is really important to translate legal documents which help to avoid any intransparency of documents which will lead to lawsuits.
All your doubts regarding legal translation will be cleared in this article.
What is legal translation?
Legal translation is the process where legal papers and materials are converted from a source language to a target language without changing its meaning. Legal translation is mainly used to translate various legal documents which include contracts, licences, legal statements, wills, birth certificates etc.
Legal translation is not an easy process as it requires a legally trained person to understand the legal field and the same is true for translators also. Apart from just the language used in translation, legal systems vary across countries hence, a legal translator should be familiar with the civil code of the source as well as the target country. Some minute mistakes in the translated document can result in serious penalties and lawsuits. And as you know, the translation services is expected to flourish at a 2.7% value CAGR, closing at a value of US$ 53.5 billion in the forecast period from 2022 to 2032.
That is why it is really important that translators should have expertise in this field and abide by the legal terminology of the countries. So, it is always recommended to use certified translation services for legal translation.
There are various types of legal translation. Let us look at them.
1. Regional and legal specialities:
Each country has its own set of rules and regulations. Sometimes even the states, districts and provinces within the same country have different sets of rules. That is why it is really important for legal translators to have expertise in this field.
This field of legal translation is mainly used to translate legal documents within regions.
2. Judicial translation:
Judicial translation mainly deals with the translation of legal documents which are court-related. Many different documents within a court have their own set of formats and jargon. This category of legal translation is mainly used to translate court documents like court proceedings, marriage certificates, witness testimonies, birth certificates etc.
3. Sworn translation:
Generally sworn translation is a form of legal translation in which legal documents need some form of validation and authorization like a stamp, signature etc from an authorised translator.
Importance of legal translation:
Legal translation is of utmost importance purposes. Almost every field including business, immigration, financial, judicial etc needs a legal translation. It eliminates the barrier in financial, political and business realms.
For example, people moving abroad need to furnish valid legal documents in the language of the country they are moving to. If the legal documents are in a different language, the officials may not understand them and it may lead to serious penalties.
Many businesses may have their offices, establishments and retail outlets in many countries so it is really important the legal papers of the businesses are translated into the language of the target country to avoid any hassle and lawsuits.
For judicial and financial purposes, investors are often required to translate legal texts before they make any investment in a country.
Apart from this, legal documents translated using professional legal translation services are much more accurate which gives hassle-free experience to clients and helps them to avoid expenses they have to bear in court proceedings.
What distinguishes legal translation from standard translation?
As we have discussed above, how important accuracy is for legal documents. Various legal documents like birth certificates, marriage certificates etc must be properly translated to avoid various problems that may arise like immigration issues, denial to facilities provided by the government and many more.
The process of legal translation is far more different from that of standard translation. It is quite difficult as the legal terminology is very much uncommon among the masses and it can be done only with the help of certified legal translators who are well versed in the legal field.
In the case of standard translation, the translator has the freedom to use the language as the way he wants. Standard translation process is much more versatile as compared to legal translation as there is a required format to be presented in case of legal translation and any minute mistake will result in lawsuits and penalties.
Conclusion:
As discussed above, legal translation is very much different from standard translation. A small mistake in a legal document might result in serious problems. Hence, it is always recommended to use a certified legal translator to translate any legal document.
A good legal translator knows the laws of the source and the target country and can help the clients with the process of legal translation very smoothly and without much hassles.
Have any doubts about legal translation? Contact info@naargmedia.com for further queries. Our team will guide you professionally with your legal translation work.