Navigating Legal Language: 5 Top Tips for Accurate Legal Translations
Contracts and other legal documents are an essential part of inter-business relationships but translating them can be a minefield.
Differences in legal terminology and frameworks are the norm and misinterpreting a key word or phrase could lead to legal disputes or a financial hit.
Here are MTT’s top tips for navigating legal language and procuring the translation of legal documents and contracts:
1. Ensure the translation is carried out by a linguist with appropriate legal expertise, both in the source and the target language.
2. Embrace the ‘four eyes principle’ and request proofreading by a second linguist (again with legal expertise).
3. Avoid machine translation, it’s simply not accurate enough for the translation of legal documents.
4. Opt for a certified translation; UK courts and regulatory bodies often require that translated contracts have been certified.
5. Check with your supplier that formatting and text organisation will be carefully checked and verified so that important clause and document structure is retained.
For your next translation project contact our friendly team to see how we can help you.
+44 1562 748 778
