Legal translation and editing are not just about words: they are about understanding the concepts that underpin different legal systems and how the law is practised in each jurisdiction.
Good legal translations require:
- up-to-date knowledge of the legal systems concerned
- accurate use of terminology
- strategies for dealing with terms and concepts without a direct equivalent in the target language
- the ability to explain problems of conceptual equivalence clearly and succinctly.
Like lawyers, legal translators develop particular areas of expertise, based on solid experience and, in my case, an MA in Legal Translation. As a result, I provide French to UK English translations in:
- company, commercial and contract law
- family law
- property law.
The types of document I translate in these fields include:
- articles of association, resolutions, board papers and meeting minutes
- contracts, agreements and terms of business
- legal correspondence
- corporate privacy / data protection policies
- company guidance documents on anti-money laundering / counter-terrorist financing / bribery
- website copy for law firms
- separation and divorce agreements / wills
- property contracts
- academic articles.
Some examples of recent projects are listed here.
Certified translation
Unlike many other European countries, the UK does not have a system of ‘sworn’ or ‘certified’ translators accredited by a particular body. As a Fellow of CIOL, qualified member of ITI and a Chartered Linguist, I can provide self-certified translations of official legal documents for individuals, such as birth, marriage and death certificates, qualifications and academic transcripts. You can find more information on certified translations on the CIOL website.
