There’s a fundamental difference in importance between translating an everyday text and genuinely flawless legal document translation. Whether it’s to be used for business purposes, overseas citizenship, marriage, investment or anything else across the board, even the slightest of oversights can render an important document null and void.
It’s for this very reason why it is of such importance to seek the assistance of not only certified translation service providers, but providers of the highest possible calibre. Assuming that you yourself are not comprehensively familiar with the target language, you’ll have little choice other than to trust both the efforts and the output of the translation company you select.
So when it comes to service provider selection, be sure to consider a few essential criteria before going ahead:
Target Language Proficiency
For example, it’s a good idea to work with those who are not simply proficient in the respective target language, but are in fact native speakers. With so many intricate and incredibly subtle nuances to grasp from one international language and dialect to the next, working with those who have anything but flawless knowledge of the target language represents a risk not worth taking.
Legal and Technical Considerations
Something else to bear in mind is the way in which there’s a very big difference between translating a birth certificate from one language to another and flawlessly translating an extremely technical business document to the same target language. If for example there is anything particularly technical about the language contained within the document, it simply makes sense to work with a service provider with the relevant background. They may be well-versed in translating marriage certificates – this doesn’t mean complex legal jargon is necessarily up their street.
Evidence and Reputation
Finally, it’s always worth requesting evidence of the provider’s competencies before going ahead, or at least the comments and feedback of private clients. As already touched upon, you often only have one opportunity to get things right where important legal documents are concerned, after which the consequences of poor translation services become painfully clear.