Legal foreign language translations tip 4—Do not yield to the temptation of cheap and fast legal translations
Sure, you can answer spam emails touting legal translation for $10 a page. Or, press your legal translation company for a 24-hour turnaround. However, your least expensive and fastest translations can mean huge problems later.
There must be a balance between the price paid, the turnaround promised—and the quality of the legal translation you can expect. Experienced legal translation companies know that quality must be balanced with speed for accurate results. After all, if it took your company three months to create, edit, proofread and format a final legal or engineering document, shouldn't the translation be conducted with the same care?
"Technical translation is time-consuming," according to Brian Fish, translation coordinator for Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett and Dunner. "The ability to do it fast is almost a red flag," he states in a National Law Review article. Unrealistic, quick-translation deadlines could lead to big errors—and exacting accuracy requires a reasonable turnaround time.
A little preplanning can streamline your efforts. Partner with a legal translation company early in your project, and develop a workable timeline. That way, your law firm is assured that any necessary research can be conducted, your deadlines are met, and your translated legal documents are accurate. By the same token, always plan ahead for a specialty area interpreter, when a case involves technical specialty areas, or less commonly spoken foreign languages.
Machine-generated translations, or legal translations performed by non-native speakers, may seem like cost-saving strategies—but they'll cost your firm dearly. Your legal translation company protects your image and your assets- whether on paper, during a global transaction, or in the courtroom during proceedings.
Proper translations ensure that communications problems never get a chance to develop. Have a question about partnering with a translation company for your legal needs?
Contact our legal translations company today for personalized service.
Sources:
Babble tramples the gavel
Interpreter gibberish translates into new trial for Afghan man
Karen Abbot, Rocky Mountain News
January 17, 2003
When Does "Guarantee" Not Mean "Guarantee"? When it's Written in a Foreign Language
National Law Journal
Volume 25, Issue 69
Steve Seidenberg
January 27, 2003
Deal and Deal Makers: Lawsuit Hinges on a Word—and What a Word!
Jerry Markdon, Wall Street Journal
February 12, 2002
The Best Way To...Translate When Using Web Translation Services, You Might Find Yourself Asking:
What Language Are They Speaking?
Eduardo Porter, Wall Street Journal
November 27, 2000
