Frequently Asked Questions About Our Specialized Language & Research Services

Yes. Our genealogists and historical records researchers can assist with locating and obtaining records from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), U.S. government agencies and other repositories. Research may include immigration and naturalization files, military and veteran records, federal district and appellate court records, State Department records and other historical government records needed for citizenship by descent, probate, heirship, litigation and other legal or genealogical matters. Historical government records can also become critical evidence in citizenship litigation, as illustrated by Moncada v. Rubio, where decades-old State Department and diplomatic records were used to examine a claim to U.S. citizenship by birth.

Yes. We assign on-site genealogists and archival researchers in many countries to conduct international genealogy and historical records research in foreign archives, civil registries, church and parish archives, libraries and other repositories. We can assist with locating and obtaining ancestral birth, marriage, death, church, immigration, citizenship and other historical records for citizenship by descent, international probate, heirship, litigation and family-history matters.

Yes. All Language Alliance, Inc. can assist with research involving historical federal court records held by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and other repositories. Depending on the court, time period and surviving records, research may involve federal district court and appellate court case files, docket information, opinions, orders and related historical records.

If you already know the court, case name, docket or case number, approximate date, and the document or docket entry you need, send us that information for review. We can determine the likely repository and research requirements before retrieval or scanning is arranged.

Yes. U.S. and international genealogical and archival records can provide evidence concerning identity, dates of birth and death, family relationships, heirs and beneficiaries, historical ownership and other facts relevant to litigation, probate, insurance claims and investigations, property disputes and other legal matters. Research may require comparing records from multiple repositories and jurisdictions when historical evidence is incomplete, inconsistent or conflicting.

Yes. All Language Alliance, Inc. provides international probate genealogy, forensic genealogy, heir search and archival research services to identify and locate missing or unknown heirs and beneficiaries of estates, trusts and guardianships. Research may involve vital records, probate files, immigration and naturalization records, census records, church records, foreign civil-registration records and other genealogical and historical sources needed to document family relationships and lines of descent.

Send us the available names, dates, locations and family records so we can evaluate the research required to identify or locate the missing heirs or beneficiaries.

Yes. When a historical or foreign record must be used for a legal, probate, citizenship or other official purpose, we can assist with certified translation and, when applicable, Apostille, authentication or legalization services. Requirements depend on the country where the document was issued, the jurisdiction where it will be presented and its intended use.

Yes. We provide insurance claims translation and interpreter services in more than 100 languages for insurance claims, investigations and litigation. Our legal translators translate insurance policies, claims documents, medical records, accident reports and other documentary evidence, and we provide professional interpreters for recorded statements, Examinations Under Oath (EUOs), depositions, independent medical examinations (IMEs), mediations, arbitrations and other insurance-related proceedings.

Yes. Our genealogists and historical records researchers can locate and analyze historical evidence relevant to disputed identity, age and date of birth in life insurance claims and litigation. Depending on the matter, research may include historical Social Security Administration records, State Department passport applications, delayed birth certificates, church and baptismal records, immigration and naturalization files, marriage records, government records and foreign civil-registration records. Comparing records created at different times and for different purposes can help document biographical facts when the historical record is conflicting or incomplete.

Yes. Our genealogists and historical records researchers can conduct U.S. and international searches to identify and locate missing beneficiaries, heirs and family members in life insurance and other insurance matters. Research can include reconstructing family relationships and lines of descent through vital records, probate files, census records, immigration and naturalization records, obituaries, church records, foreign civil-registration records and other historical and genealogical sources.

Before ordering a certified document translation, tell us the source language, the country or jurisdiction where the translation will be used, the receiving court, government agency, university, consulate or other institution, and any certification, notarization, Apostille or formatting requirements you have been given.

Please send a clear and complete PDF of the document whenever possible. We can then determine the appropriate translator, certification and document-handling requirements and provide an estimate. Requirements can differ depending on whether a translation will be used for litigation, USCIS, citizenship by descent, academic admission, probate, a foreign civil registry or another official purpose.

All Language Alliance, Inc. assigns professional translators based on the language, subject matter, intended use and applicable document requirements.

For additional guidance, review our Document Translation Tips, legal language translation tips, and A Lawyer’s Guide to Cross-Cultural Depositions, written by Nina Ivanichvili. You can also read our language translation blog and learn more about the importance of certified legal document translations.

Contact All Language Alliance, Inc. with your documents and intended use to request a certified translation estimate.

In the United States, a “certified translation” generally refers to a translation accompanied by a signed certification from the translator or translation provider attesting to the completeness and accuracy of the translation and the translator’s competence. Requirements vary according to the receiving court, agency or institution. For example, USCIS requires a full English translation accompanied by the translator’s certification that the translation is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate from the foreign language into English. USCIS does not require the translator to hold American Translators Association certification.

All Language Alliance, Inc. provides certified translations of birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce records, naturalization records, court documents, academic records and other official documents for USCIS, legal and other official purposes.

To request a certified translation, send us a complete PDF of your document and tell us where the translation will be submitted.

A certified translation and a sworn translation are not necessarily the same thing. In the United States, a certified translation generally includes a certification attesting to the completeness and accuracy of the translation. In many foreign countries, however, documents intended for official use may need to be translated by a sworn translator who is authorized under that country’s legal system to produce official translations. This distinction is particularly important when U.S. Apostille documents, including court orders, vital records and immigrant-ancestor’s citizenship and naturalization papers, such as Certificate of Arrival; Declaration of Intention; Petition for Naturalization; Affidavits of Witnesses; Oath of Allegiance; Certificate of Naturalization, will be submitted to a foreign court, consulate, civil registry or government agency.

Requirements for official, certified or sworn translations vary significantly by country and by the authority receiving the document. Some jurisdictions maintain systems of court-appointed, government-authorized or officially registered translators; others use different certification or legalization procedures. Before arranging a translation for use abroad, the requirements of the receiving court, consulate, civil registry or government agency should be confirmed.

When U.S. Apostille documents will be used in a non-U.S. jurisdiction, countries such as Germany, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Italy, France, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Croatia, Sweden, Argentina and Turkey may require an official, certified, legalized or sworn translation prepared in accordance with that country’s requirements. Depending on the jurisdiction, the translation may need to be prepared by a sworn, court-appointed, government-authorized or otherwise officially recognized translator.

Depending on the country, such translators may be appointed, registered or authorized by a court, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chamber of Commerce or another competent authority, and may use an official seal or stamp.

Italy, for example, uses a procedure commonly known as asseverazione or a sworn translation. The translator signs a formal oath attesting to the faithful translation of the source document before an authorized official, commonly at an Italian court. Local procedural requirements can vary by court, including rules concerning who may present the translation for the oath.

When a U.S. person applies for citizenship by descent, restoration or reacquisition of citizenship, or citizenship by investment (CBI) through a foreign consulate or embassy in the United States, translation requirements depend on the country, application procedure and receiving authority. Some consulates may accept certified translations prepared by U.S.-based professional translators, including ATA-certified translators, while others require translations prepared by sworn, court-appointed or otherwise officially authorized translators. Applicants should confirm the specific requirements of the receiving consulate or embassy before ordering translations of U.S. Apostille documents.

If your documents will be used outside the United States, send us the documents and destination country so we can determine the appropriate translation service based on the receiving authority’s requirements.

Yes. All Language Alliance, Inc. provides historical document transcription and handwritten document translation services for old legal, historical, genealogical and archival documents, including difficult-to-read cursive manuscripts. We decipher, transcribe and translate deposition transcripts; wills; deeds; charters; indentures; town records; right-of-way agreements; land surveys and other historical real estate records handwritten in cursive scripts; logbooks; and other documents created in English, Polish, German, Italian, French, Latin, Hungarian, Slovak, Hebrew, Danish, Estonian, Czech, Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish and other foreign languages.

Deciphering archaic scripts and navigating international intestacy laws requires deep historical context. You can read actual case studies of how we uncover and translate historical records on our historical genealogy and translation blog.

Send us a PDF of the entire handwritten document for a transcription and translation estimate.

Yes. All Language Alliance, Inc. can assist with obtaining your grandfather’s Peruvian birth certificate and other available ancestral records from Peru. If you have a copy of the “Report of Birth of Children Born to American Parents,” now generally known as a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), please send us a PDF copy. We can review the information it contains and advise you about the available options for locating and obtaining the relevant birth or ancestral records.

Yes. All Language Alliance, Inc. provides international probate genealogy, forensic genealogy, foreign heir and beneficiary searches, and archival research for estates, trusts and guardianships. We assign in-country genealogists and archival researchers when foreign records or on-site research are required. Send us the names, known dates and places of birth or residence, family relationships and copies of any available records so we can evaluate the research needed to identify or locate missing heirs and beneficiaries.

Yes. All Language Alliance, Inc. can assist with the certified English-to-Spanish translation and legalization of a U.S. Power of Attorney intended for use in Argentina. Please have the POA drafted, properly executed and apostilled in the United States, and send us a PDF of the Apostilled document for an estimate. After we receive the payment, we can assign a sworn translator in Argentina to prepare the English-to-Spanish translation and arrange the applicable legalization in Argentina.

Yes. All Language Alliance, Inc. can assist with Italian genealogy and ancestral records research for Italian citizenship by descent. We assign Italian genealogists and family history researchers in Italy who can research your Italian lineage and help locate and obtain your Italian ancestor’s birth certificate and other Italian ancestral records.

For example, we can assist with obtaining a certified extract of an Italian birth record, known in Italian as an Estratto per riassunto dell’atto di nascita, as well as available marriage, death and other civil-registration records that may be needed to document your line of descent for an Italian citizenship-by-descent application.

To request Italian ancestral records research, send us the ancestor’s full name, approximate date and place of birth, names of parents if known, and copies of any records you already have.

Yes. Many of our clients are grandchildren or great-grandchildren of immigrants from Yugoslavia, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Romania, Lithuania, France, Spain, Denmark, Italy and other European territories that were formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They may be applying for citizenship by descent or seeking to reacquire or restore ancestral citizenship.

All Language Alliance, Inc. provides genealogy and archival research, ancestral document retrieval, Apostille services, certified translation and document authentication for citizenship-by-descent matters. We can assist with obtaining certified copies of U.S. historical and archival records and, when required, having them Apostilled and translated.

These U.S. ancestral records may include naturalization documents such as a Certificate of Arrival, Declaration of Intention, Petition for Naturalization, Affidavits of Witnesses, Oath of Allegiance and Certificate of Naturalization. We can also assign in-country genealogists and archival researchers to locate and obtain foreign ancestral birth, marriage and other civil or church records.

For example, for a Slovak citizenship matter, we can assist with obtaining U.S. naturalization records, arranging the required Apostille and certified English-to-Slovak translation, and researching and obtaining certified copies of an immigrant ancestor’s birth certificate and other ancestral records in present-day Slovakia.

To request citizenship-by-descent document research, retrieval, Apostille or certified translation services, send us the country involved, the ancestor’s information and copies of the documents you already have.

All Language Alliance, Inc. can assist with notarization, Apostille and certified translation services for a Power of Attorney intended for use in Mexico. We work with a Colorado notary who is also a Colorado-licensed attorney and can assist when a foreign-drafted Power of Attorney contains provisions that create difficulties for notarization in Colorado.

Powers of Attorney and other legal documents drafted outside the United States may contain language requiring the notary to make legal conclusions concerning the document, the authority of the signer or the signer’s legal capacity.  Because some requested notarial acts may involve legal determinations beyond the role of a Colorado notary, review by a Colorado-licensed attorney may be appropriate.

After the Power of Attorney is properly executed and notarized, we can also assist with the applicable Colorado Apostille and certified English-to-Spanish translation for use in Mexico.

All Language Alliance, Inc. provides Apostille, authentication and certified translation services for documents intended for use abroad. Whether your document requires an Apostille or another form of authentication depends on the country where the document will be used, the type of document, the authority that issued it and the requirements of the receiving authority.

For documents intended for use abroad, the applicable procedure may involve an Apostille under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention or another form of authentication or legalization. Because requirements vary by country and document type and may change over time, we confirm the applicable requirements for the destination country before processing the document.

Send us a PDF of the document and tell us the country where it will be used so we can review the applicable Apostille, authentication and translation requirements.

Unfortunately not. All Language Alliance, Inc. provides certified translation services, notarized translations, official translations and Apostille translation services for individuals, law firms, corporations and other clients in the United States and worldwide.

For liability and quality-control reasons, All Language Alliance, Inc. certifies only translations prepared by translators we assign. We can provide certified translations of academic records, EB-5 immigration documents, birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce records, death certificates, wills, Apostille documents and other legal and official documents.

A court-certified interpreter is a professional interpreter who has satisfied the testing, qualification and certification requirements established by a particular court system or judicial authority. Because certification systems differ by jurisdiction and language, the meaning of “court-certified” depends on the court and the certification program involved.

In the federal courts, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has developed court interpreter certification programs for Spanish, Navajo and Haitian Creole. However, the Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination (FCICE) is currently offered only for Spanish-English. Certification examinations for Navajo and Haitian Creole are no longer offered.

For languages other than Spanish, federal courts may use professionally qualified or language-skilled interpreters, depending on the interpreter’s qualifications and the requirements of the proceeding. All Language Alliance, Inc. can assign qualified legal interpreters in common, uncommon and rare languages for federal court and other legal matters, subject to the specific requirements of the court.

State court interpreter certification programs and available examination languages vary by state and can change over time. Many states participate in testing programs developed through the National Center for State Courts. Attorneys and interpreters should verify current certification requirements with the relevant state court system.

In addition, we provide qualified interpreters for exotic and rare languages in which there is no court certification available, such as: Jamaican Patois; Low German Mennonite; Mbay; Nepali; Kunama; Ngambay; Sinhala; Anuak; Malayalam; Telugu, and other uncommon foreign languages.

Courts occasionally face disputes concerning interpretation accuracy, interpreter qualifications, deposition interpretation and interpreter fees. We track evolving federal and state court decisions involving language interpreters and translation issues on our legal translation case review blog.

To request a legal interpreter, tell us the language, date of service, start time, expected duration, location or remote platform, type of proceeding, and any court-certification or other credential requirements.

Consecutive interpretation is a mode of interpreting in which the speaker pauses after a portion of speech so the interpreter can render the speaker’s statement into another language. Unlike simultaneous interpretation, the interpreter and speaker generally take turns speaking.

Consecutive interpretation is commonly used for legal depositions, witness interviews, attorney-client meetings, USCIS interviews, recorded statements and other legal or professional proceedings where the participants can pause to allow the interpreter to provide the interpretation. All Language Alliance, Inc. can assign professional consecutive interpreters for on-site and remote legal proceedings in many languages.

Simultaneous interpretation, sometimes called U.N.-style interpretation, is a mode of interpreting in which the interpreter listens to the speaker and renders the message into another language almost simultaneously, without requiring the speaker to pause after every few sentences.

Depending on the assignment, simultaneous interpreters may work with conference interpreting equipment, remotely through Zoom or another interpreting platform, or in teams for longer proceedings, conferences and corporate events. Simultaneous interpretation is commonly used for international conferences, corporate meetings, webinars, technical meetings and other multilingual events.

All Language Alliance, Inc. can assign teams of English-Japanese simultaneous interpreters, English-Korean simultaneous interpreters, English-Mandarin simultaneous interpreters and simultaneous interpreters in many other languages for on-site and remote meetings, conferences and corporate events.

To request consecutive or simultaneous interpreters, send us the language pair, date of service, start time, expected duration, location or remote platform, type of proceeding or meeting, and number of participants.

It is very common for people outside the foreign language profession to use the terms “legal translator” and “legal interpreter” interchangeably. However, translators and interpreters perform different types of language work.

Legal translators work with written language. They translate legal documents and other written materials from the source language—the language in which the document was written—into the target language. Legal interpreters work with spoken language, interpreting oral communication from one language into another during depositions, court proceedings, attorney-client meetings, interviews and other legal matters.

The same distinction applies in other specialized fields. Medical translators translate written medical, pharmaceutical and healthcare documents, while medical interpreters facilitate oral communication between healthcare professionals and patients.

All Language Alliance, Inc. provides online certified document translation services for clients throughout the United States and worldwide. There is no need to visit our office in Denver, Colorado. Clients can send their documents electronically for review, and we provide certified, notarized and Apostille document translation services for legal, academic, corporate, government and personal documents.

We also provide certified translation of Latin diplomas and other academic translation services from more than 100 languages. Our online certified document translation clients come from Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, D.C., New York City, Dallas, Las Vegas, Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, San Diego, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Denver and locations throughout the United States and abroad.

Request a certified document translation rate or contact All Language Alliance, Inc. about your legal or official document translation requirements.

Yes. All Language Alliance, Inc. provides court-certified, registered, credentialed and professionally qualified deposition interpreters for on-site, remote video and international depositions and arbitrations. We assign interpreters according to the language, jurisdiction, proceeding requirements and subject matter, including interpreters for common, rare and less commonly requested languages.

To request a deposition interpreter, send us the language, date of service, start time, expected duration, location or remote platform, and any required interpreter credentials.

U.S. discovery procedures, including pretrial depositions and document production, may be unfamiliar to foreign witnesses and clients. When representing foreign clients in U.S. litigation, attorneys may need to explain the dynamics of deposition and trial testimony through a language interpreter. Some law firms arrange mock depositions to help foreign witnesses become familiar with testifying through a deposition interpreter. Contact All Language Alliance, Inc. to learn how our legal interpreters, including teams serving as private linguistic experts, can assist with your case.

For a deeper look at how the courts handle challenges to foreign language testimony, deposition length extensions, and cost-recovery for interpreters, explore our deposition interpreter insights blog.

A check interpreter, sometimes called a table interpreter, monitor interpreter, party interpreter or defense interpreter, is generally retained by a party to monitor the interpretation provided by the primary deposition interpreter. All Language Alliance, Inc. supplies court-certified interpreters with experience in serving as check interpreters in high-stakes litigation, including patent infringement cases and product liability cases. A check interpreter can monitor the interpretation during testimony and identify potential interpretation issues when they arise.

Yes. Confidentiality is essential to our work. All Language Alliance, Inc. is willing to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or Confidentiality Agreement before reviewing your English or foreign-language documents. We understand that legal, corporate, medical, genealogical and other documents submitted for translation, transcription or research may contain confidential or sensitive information.

All Language Alliance, Inc. provides professional translation and interpreting services in more than 100 languages and dialects. We provide certified and professional document translation as well as over-the-phone interpreting, on-site in-person legal interpreting, on-site deposition interpreting and remote interpreting via Zoom and other video-conferencing platforms.

We can assign translators and interpreters for legal matters, depositions, attorney-client meetings, recorded statements, medical matters, business meetings and other professional assignments. To see the foreign languages supported by our translation and interpreting services, please visit our World-Class Languages Translation Services page.

All Language Alliance, Inc. can assist with same-day requests for Denver medical interpreters and deposition interpreters in many foreign languages, subject to interpreter availability and any required credentials.

For assignments requiring a court-certified or otherwise specially credentialed interpreter, we recommend contacting us as early as possible. Advance scheduling is particularly important for depositions, USITC proceedings, arbitrations, IMEs, FCEs, recorded statements, court hearings, immigration interviews, international depositions, conferences and meetings requiring teams of simultaneous interpreters.

We provide interpreters for assignments in Denver and throughout the United States, as well as for international matters and remote proceedings.

Contact the office of the court administrator in your local municipality or state government to learn about their requirements for testing and certification of court interpreters, or judicial interpreters.

Court certification can be an important credential for legal interpreting work, including depositions, but qualifications and hiring requirements vary by jurisdiction, law firm and type of proceeding.

All Language Alliance, Inc. assigns professional technical translators based on the language, subject matter, intended use and technical requirements of the documents. Depending on the project, translators may use professional CAT tools and translation-memory resources to help maintain terminology consistency across technical documents and large multilingual projects.

Yes, we provide multilingual marketing document translation services to help your company avoid costly translation mistakes and embarrassment.  If your company is delivering professional services to non-English-speaking clients, read “Acquiring Foreign-Born Clients: Marketing Legal Services to a Growing Niche”, written by Nina Ivanichvili, and then contact our professional translation company to discuss your need for business document translation services.

If your English business documents will be used in mainland China, Simplified Chinese is generally appropriate. Traditional Chinese is commonly used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. The appropriate written form should be determined by the intended audience, jurisdiction and document use.

There are significant differences, for example, in the Spanish spoken in Mexico, Central America, South America, and Europe. Similarly, there are also differences between Canadian and European French, as well as between Brazilian Portuguese and Continental Portuguese. Professional certified translators are sensitive to the cultural and social subtleties and nuances. If your documents are aimed at consumers and if you need them translated into Spanish, Portuguese, or French — it is important to let your trusted document translation services company know for which country or ethnic group you plan to use the documents (the documents’ target audience or readership).

We absolutely can. One of our specialty areas is genealogy translation services, forensic genealogy, and transcription and translation of old, archival and historical handwritten documents and manuscripts written in cursive. We translate foreign language genealogical documents, historical documents and handwritten personal letters and diaries from German, Ottoman Turkish, Croatian, Russian, Ukrainian, Czech, Hebrew, Chinese, Albanian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Spanish, Swedish, Portuguese, Italian, Mongolian, Polish, Slovak, Finnish, Icelandic, Danish, Lithuanian, Estonian, Latvian, Turkish, Dutch, French and Japanese.

Send us clear PDF scans of your handwritten documents, along with any known language, date, location or family information, for a transcription and translation estimate.

Yes, we can assist with document research and translation for applications under Austria’s citizenship provisions for descendants of victims of National Socialism. Eligibility under Section 58c of the Austrian Citizenship Act depends on the circumstances of the persecuted ancestor and the statutory requirements, not simply on whether the ancestor lived in a former territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Because eligibility rules are fact-specific, applicants should confirm their qualification with the competent Austrian authority before ordering extensive archival research or translations.

Yes. All Language Alliance, Inc. can assign a professional English-to-Canadian French simultaneous interpreter for recurring meetings with your supplier in Quebec via Zoom. For weekly meetings, we can work to assign the same interpreter or interpreting team for continuity and familiarity with your company’s terminology and subject matter. To request a Canadian French simultaneous interpreter, tell us the date of the first meeting, start time, expected duration, meeting frequency, Zoom platform requirements and the general subject matter of the meetings.