When you are involved in a legal dispute in a foreign land, and you do not understand the language, you will need to hire a reliable translator to offer legal translation services. This is because you need to understand what the other party is saying to respond appropriately. For instance, if you are facing a criminal charge, you will need someone to translate what the native judge, prosecutor, witnesses or court officers say into the language you understand. When faced with criminal proceedings, the stakes could not be higher. Any error or omission in the translation can have far-reaching consequences on your life, so you need to find the most competent translator to provide you with reliable translation services. Below are key factors to consider during the search:
i) Accreditation
When you need translation services for legal purposes, the most important factor of consideration is accreditation. You need to hire an accredited legal translator to offer the service; not just any translator. This is important because you cannot afford to have any mistake in the translation. Therefore, you should take your time to make a list of translation firms that have been accredited to offer translation services for legal purposes.
ii) Experience with Legal Translation
The ideal translator should have a lot of experience with legal translation. They must have also been in the industry for several years and handled hundreds, if not thousands, of translation jobs. The most experienced legal translators should be given priority consideration because they know how to get the job done properly.
iii) Guarantees
The types of guarantees offered by a translator should be taken into consideration. For instance, there should be a money-back guarantee to ensure that you can get a refund if you are not satisfied with their service. Furthermore, the firm or professional should be properly insured to cover any risks that may arise from the job. For instance, if you suffer serious repercussions due to errors or omissions in translation, the firm’s insurer should be able to compensate you for the damages you suffer.
iv) Reputation and Track Record
The track record and reputation of a translator should be taken into consideration. You want the most reputable translator to serve you. Therefore, you should give priority consideration to the most respected translators who have a track record of offering quality services to clients.
v) Cost
Obviously, you want affordable services. Therefore, you should take your time to compare the rates quoted by different firms to ensure you find the most affordable. Whether a firm bills per hour or quotes a fixed rate for the service, you should make sure it is the lowest quote possible.
