With more and more companies working with international clients or doing business in the global market, in addition to immigrants’ desire for naturalization, law firms and legal departments increasingly require multilingual translation of legal documents. There are numerous legal documents and forms that need to be translated for e-discovery, naturalization, mergers and acquisitions, arbitration, investments and more.

The translation of legal documents is in high demand today and is expected to become increasingly important as our global economy continues to expand. Furthermore, compliance with state and federal requirements make translation a necessity in some cases. For instance, the Federal Trade Commission’s Rule 803.8 requires documents in foreign languages be submitted alongside an English translation, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act requires U.S. businesses who have operations in other countries to prove the compliance effort of the businesses abroad. The Southern District of Florida makes a similar request in Section 2N of the General Civil Case Filing Requirements.

“Documents not written in English (i.e., foreign language, braille) must be accompanied by a translation unless a waiver has been granted by the Court.”

Top Legal Documents Requiring Translation

TransForma Translation Services has been hired by many law firms and legal professionals to perform ongoing translation of legal documents and foreign content. Here are some tips for understanding how to work efficiently and effectively with the types of documents that are most in need of translation.

Financial Records

At first glance, financial records and figures may appear like just numbers and calculations. Math is math, right? However, financial records from other countries that are needed as part of banking transactions must be translated by an expert. These documents, as well as any necessary currency conversions, must be accurate and must be understood by all parties.

Personal Identification Documents

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requires all documents submitted in support of an application for citizenship or a visa be accurately translated into English. When dealing with immigration cases, citizenship, estate or custody battles involving non-native clients, there are several documents that may require translation into English. For instance, when applying for a U.S. green card or visa, there are a number of documents that require an English translation, such as birth certificates; marriage certificates; school transcripts; education or employment history; lease or mortgage documents; criminal records; adoption decrees; and correspondence between U.S. citizen spouse. Although the U.S. government does not yet require personal identification documents or records to be professionally translated, it does require that the translated content be certified as accurate.

Any errors or misunderstandings may cause delays in naturalization or rejection of an application for a visa. This is why it is critical for law firms to hire a professional translation service to ensure their foreign legal documents are translated correctly and act in the best interest of their client. Furthermore, if interpreters are used for the translational of foreign statements, it may be required that the interpreter testify in a court hearing; thus, making it even more critical that law firms contract with an expert, professional translation service to perform all of their translation and interpretation needs.

Hire A Professional Translator of Legal Documents

TransForma Translation Services is experienced at performing translations and interpretations of legal documents. We’ll put our team of experienced, credentialed translators at your service and provide notarized certificates of accuracy when necessary.  Contact us at (305) 722-3827 or request@transformaonline.com.