Certified Translation

Certified translations are necessary when a translation of a particular document needs to be made official.
The types of documents that usually require certification are certificates of any kind (Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Death), official documents such as passports (or any other official ID papers), Diplomas (High School, University, Baccalaureate, Professional Qualifications), Official Court documents, Articles of Association, Profit and Loss Statements, etc.

We offer three different types of certification:

1. Certificate of Accuracy: this states the language combination and constitutes an affidavit signed by us that the translation is an accurate rendition of the original document into whatever language the translation has been performed into. This usually suffices for most standard certified translation requirements in the UK.
2. Certification before a Solicitor: this is an affidavit taken to a solicitor’s offices and officially sworn before, and stamped by, the solicitor. This is really only used when specifically required by clients who are having written evidence translated which has to be presented in front of a court.
3. Notarization: this, again, is an affidavit taken to a Notary Public’s office, sworn before and stamped by the Notary. The purpose of this is to render the translation a legal document which then carries as much significance in law as the original source material. This is rarely used, usually only for documentary evidence for use abroad and for claim forms when a suit for damages is being sought against someone resident outside the UK.

As an addendum to Notarization, we also offer Embassy legalisation, which is where a specific embassy’s legal department reviews the translation of the document and stamps the certificate, once sworn in front of a Notary. It is not usually necessary but some business clients prefer to have this done for their protection in contractual situations or where they are seeking to recover large financial sums.

In addition, we offer Foreign & Commonwealth Office legalisation of notarized documents (called an apostille). This then makes the document adhere to The Hague Convention, a treaty which seeks to harmonise international law, especially that governing trusts and the rights of children. This ensures that if a translated document, which has been notarized, is presented for use in court in say - Israel, that the Beit (court) in Israel accepts that the translation is the actual petition and not the original petition in the English language.

If you are unsure which type of certification you require, please contact us and we can advise you.