Legal Jargon Translation

Misunderstanding the meaning of legal jargon in contracts, legal documents, and court cases is one of the reasons that court cases get thrown out; a person may accuse a company of engaging in "bait and switch" sales tactics, not knowing that the phrase has a distinct and specific legal meaning, for example.

Other examples may include people confusing the meaning of the terms assault and battery, libel and slander, or burglary and robbery. To most who don't deal in law enforcement or the legal field on a day to day basis, there's no need to know the distinction between these terms, and their only other experience with them may have been what they've gleaned from law dramas on film and police procedural television shows.

Translators are no exception; if you have a contract or other legal document you need translated, you must make sure you have a translator with experience in translating legal jargon, or else you may find yourself in an embarrassing or expensive situation in court!

When seeking out a legal jargon translator, you should always find a translator with previous experience in legal translation. Additionally, they should speak the language they translate legal jargon into natively, and ideally should live in the country where the court case is being heard, or the contract is being negotiated, and so on. This will ensure that their terminology is both accurate to the original intent, as well as legally valid if it should be challenged in court.

If you need a translator for legal jargon, contact us now for a free quote on your next project. We can also answer any questions you may have on the legal translation process!