Legal Translation Services for Notaries

November 6, 2018

Legal translation services – the role of the Notary

A Notary (usually Notary Public in England and Wales) is a member of a very old branch of the legal profession that specialises mainly in authenticating document translations for use abroad. Notaries therefore work closely with professional translators, and some notarial practices have their own in-house legal translation services.

Notaries are generally needed when official document translation services are required for diplomatic purposes, for example birth or marriage certificates for consular staff or contract workers going abroad. Notaries may also handle some of the work normally done by solicitors and can, for example, be involved in litigation.

What are Notarial Certificates?

Notaries and Notarial Certificates are of special importance when a business is looking to expand abroad, for example by opening a new overseas branch or daughter company. Not only will Notaries oversee the certified translation services, but they may also be involved in the actual registration and administration of the translated documents with the relevant authorities.

The sort of documents that require Notarial Certificates include company articles of association, VAT and tax registration forms, trade and trademark registration documents, import and export licences and so forth. In addition, certified translation services may be needed for the purchase or lease of business premises or procuring homes for staff on secondment abroad. Bids for tender, marketing, company accounts and a range of documents needed for business abroad all fall under the remit of certified document translation services.

The importance of accuracy in legal document translation services

As far as legal document translation is concerned, accuracy is obviously very important for administrative documents. The established national guidelines relating to legal translation services apply with equal importance here. Notaries will ensure that all document translations are accurate by using only accredited translators. The overall result should be a satisfactory registration abroad for whatever trade or line of work is being applied for.