Preparing Legal Documents for Translation

Identify the institution and the purpose of submission. Ask for its current translation instructions, including any required translator credentials, declaration wording, signatures or delivery format. Share the instructions rather than relying only on the phrase “certified translation”.

Ask the provider to confirm each requested item in writing. If an instruction is unclear, resolve it with the receiving body before commissioning work. A provider’s general marketing statement should not replace that check.

Provide every relevant page, including reverse sides, attachments, stamps and handwritten entries. Check that scans are readable and uncropped. Tell the provider if an updated version is expected.

Identify the source and target languages and the intended use. Ask how unreadable text, seals and annotations will be handled, and whether the quotation includes every page in the submission set.

Supply reference spellings of names and organizations from the documents that will accompany the submission. Flag differences between records so they can be queried rather than silently standardized.

Agree who will check numbers, dates, document references and layout before delivery. Translation should represent the source; ask the issuing or receiving institution how to address an error in the original document.

List any requested certification, notarization or authentication steps separately and ask who is responsible for each. Do not assume that one label covers every requested step or that these items are included in the translation price.

Confirm electronic or printed delivery, required copies, deadline, revision process and secure file transfer. For a Linguative quotation, share the receiving-body instructions with the document brief so the proposed scope can be assessed.