Tips to win with your translation project

Posted on 01 Mar 2015

Tips to win with your translation project

You don't need us to tell you that there's no room for error in the legal world; and your translation projects are no exception.

Whether your work involves company formation documents, patent documents, contracts, wills or financial projects, every word counts and mistakes can have major implications.

That's why this month we've provided three top tips to help ensure your legal translation projects go smoothly, successfully and accurately from the outset.

1) Take the long road

Short cuts can be appealing; with the promise of low costs and a fast turnaround, there'll always be translators with attractive propositions ready to work on your projects. Or worse, there's the constant lure of the countless automated translation options now on offer. But cut corners now and you'll count the cost later. Instead, use a specialist legal translation company which knows the demands, requirements and technicalities of the legal world.

2) Go native

Underestimating the importance of using a mother tongue translator or interpreter to work on your project can have major implications - and affect the outcome of a case. Remember that there's a difference between someone who's fluent in a language and someone who's a native speaker. Protect and preserve your reputation, and act in your client's best interests, by using a qualified legal translator who only translates into their mother tongue. 

3) Plan to partner up

Avoid disastrous results by teaming up with a professional translation company early on in your project. It allows time for research, proofreading and accuracy, builds a strong relationship and develops a rapport, ensures deadlines are met and prevents a desperate last minute search for a translator who could put your case in jeopardy.

Translation is far more than rewriting something word for word in another language. The meaning, context and potential misinterpretation of words must be understood; that's why it's essential to use a mother tongue specialist legal translator who'll not only know the potential pitfalls of certain words or phrases, but understands that the outcome of a case can hinge on a single word.

Working with a professional legal translation company like City Legal, which only uses mother tongue legal translators, means you don't risk repercussions further down the line. To find out more, or join the 16 out of the top 20 UK law firms which already work with us, call 01329 828438 or info@citylegal.co.uk