Certified translation service
Legal Translation Services
Court-ready legal translation by linguists with legal training.
What are legal translation services?
Legal translation services are the certified conversion of legal documents — contracts, court filings, witness statements, judgments and corporate records — from one language into another by a subject-matter linguist, produced under an ISO 17100 workflow with a signed certificate of accuracy.
How much do legal translation services cost?
Legal translation services in the UK cost £0.10–£0.20 per word depending on language pair and subject complexity, or from £25 per single personal document.
How can I translate a legal document?
To translate a legal document in the UK, send the source file by secure upload or email, receive a fixed quote within one working hour, approve the brief, and receive the certified translation in 2–3 working days with a signed certificate of accuracy attached.
What types of legal documents can be translated?
Legal translation services cover 12 core document types: commercial contracts, court judgments, witness statements, powers of attorney, wills, affidavits, statutory declarations, corporate resolutions, arbitration bundles, patents, property deeds and immigration documents.
Are legal translations certified, notarised, sworn or apostilled?
In the UK, legal translations are usually certified — a signed statement of accuracy from a qualified translator or agency.
What is the turnaround time for legal translations?
Standard turnaround for legal translation is 2–3 working days for every document type, single-page or multi-page. Large technical, legal and regulatory projects are quoted individually.
Legal translation is the certified written conversion of legal documents from one language into another by a subject-specialist linguist, produced under an ISO 17100 workflow with a signed certificate of accuracy accepted by UK courts, the Home Office, the Land Registry and UK solicitors.
What are legal translation services?
Legal translation services are the certified conversion of legal documents — contracts, court filings, witness statements, judgments and corporate records — from one language into another by a subject-matter linguist, produced under an ISO 17100 workflow with a signed certificate of accuracy.
Every job is assigned to a legal linguist drawn from the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) or a translation company working to Association of Translation Companies (ATC) standards. The signed statement of accuracy is included at no extra cost.
Who uses legal translation services in the UK?
UK law firms, in-house legal teams, barristers' chambers, corporate legal departments, private clients and public bodies use legal translation services for cross-border matters, litigation, immigration and regulatory filings.
What makes legal translation different from general translation?
Legal translation differs from general translation in three ways: the translator holds subject-matter specialism in the source and target legal systems, terminology is treated as legally binding, and every job carries a signed certificate of accuracy for evidential use.
A commercial contract translated by a generalist can misstate a warranty clause or a limitation of liability. Legal linguists translate complex legal drafting with matched terms of art from England and Wales, Scotland, or a foreign civil-law jurisdiction. That is what expert legal translation adds.
How much do legal translation services cost?
Legal translation services in the UK cost £0.10–£0.20 per word depending on language pair and subject complexity, or from £25 per single personal document. Same-day and weekend delivery adds a 30–50% surcharge; a signed certificate of accuracy is included at no extra cost.
| Price basis | Rate | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Per word (certified) | £0.10–£0.20 | Contracts, judgments, witness statements over 250 words |
| Per document (fixed) | From £25 | Single-page personal certificates and short affidavits |
| Professional (non-certified) | From ~£0.08 / word | Internal reference translations without certification |
| Notarisation uplift | +£30–£75 | Notarised translations witnessed by a UK solicitor or notary public |
| Urgency surcharge | +30–50% | Same-day and weekend delivery |
What are the four factors that drive legal translation price?
Four factors drive legal translation price: language pair rarity, subject-matter complexity, document length beyond 250 words, and urgency — with same-day or weekend delivery adding a 30–50% surcharge.
- Language pair rarity — common European pairs sit at the lower end; rarer Asian and African pairs at the top.
- Subject complexity — arbitration awards and patents price higher than general contracts.
- Length beyond 250 words — per-word pricing takes over from the £25 fixed-document floor.
- Urgency — same-day or weekend turnaround adds a 30–50% surcharge.
How much does each type of legal document cost to translate?
A single-page witness statement, birth certificate or short affidavit is quoted from £25 per document; multi-page contracts, court judgments and corporate resolutions are quoted at £0.10–£0.20 per word, with a fixed quote returned within one working hour.
| Document type | Price basis | Standard turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Witness statement (1 page) | From £25 | 2–3 working days |
| Birth / marriage / death certificate | From £25 | 2–3 working days |
| Commercial contract | £0.10–£0.20 / word | 2–3 working days |
| Court judgment or order | £0.10–£0.20 / word | 2–3 working days |
| Corporate resolution | £0.10–£0.20 / word | 2–3 working days |
| Power of attorney | £0.10–£0.20 / word | 2–3 working days |
| Arbitration bundle | Quoted individually | Quoted individually |
Are certification, notarisation and apostille included in the price?
A signed certificate of accuracy is included in every certified legal translation at no extra cost. Notarisation by a UK solicitor or notary public adds £30–£75 per document, and FCDO apostille legalisation is quoted separately when required for use overseas.
Get a quoteHow can I translate a legal document?
To translate a legal document in the UK, send the source file by secure upload or email, receive a fixed quote within one working hour, approve the brief, and receive the certified translation in 2–3 working days with a signed certificate of accuracy attached.
What are the 5 steps in our legal translation process?
The legal translation process runs through 5 steps: secure document intake, matching a subject-specialist linguist, translation, second-linguist quality-assurance review under ISO 17100, and delivery with a signed certificate of accuracy.
- Secure intake — encrypted upload or email; NDA signed on request.
- Linguist match — assignment to a legal linguist with documented experience in the relevant area of law.
- Translation — human translation, no machine translation on privileged material without written consent.
- QC pass — a second qualified linguist revises the target text against the source under ISO 17100.
- Delivery — signed statement of accuracy attached, notarisation or apostille arranged if required.
How do I request a quote for legal translation services?
Request a quote by uploading the source document to the secure form, emailing it to the London office, or calling +44 20 4569 1419 Monday to Saturday, 9:00–18:00. A fixed quote and turnaround are returned within one working hour.
What types of legal documents can be translated?
Legal translation services cover 12 core document types: commercial contracts, court judgments, witness statements, powers of attorney, wills, affidavits, statutory declarations, corporate resolutions, arbitration bundles, patents, property deeds and immigration documents. Broader coverage across visas, academic and business papers sits on our Document Translation UK: Certified Services for Visas, Legal, Academic and Business Documents hub.
Are legal translations certified, notarised, sworn or apostilled?
In the UK, legal translations are usually certified — a signed statement of accuracy from a qualified translator or agency. Notarisation adds a solicitor or notary witness, sworn translation is a foreign court concept, and apostille legalisation is FCDO authentication for overseas use. Our wider workflow is set out on the Certified Translation hub.
| Tier | What it is | Where it's used | Extra cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified | Signed statement of accuracy from qualified translator | UK courts, Home Office, solicitors, Land Registry | Included |
| Notarised | Certified translation, translator's signature witnessed by notary | Some overseas authorities; certain UK corporate filings | +£30–£75 |
| Sworn | Translator on a foreign court register signs the translation | France, Spain, Germany, Italy and other civil-law courts | Quoted individually |
| Apostilled | FCDO authentication attached to certified translation | Hague Convention countries requiring legalisation | Quoted separately |
What is a certified legal translation?
A certified legal translation is a translation accompanied by a signed statement of accuracy from a CIOL, ITI or ATC-registered translator or agency, accepted by UK courts, the Home Office, solicitors and universities without further authentication.
Can a solicitor or notary certify a legal translation?
A solicitor or notary public does not certify the linguistic accuracy of a translation — that certification comes from the qualified translator. A UK solicitor or notary witnesses the translator's signature and identity, producing a notarised translation, at an uplift of £30–£75 per document.
When is a sworn translation required instead of a certified translation?
Sworn translation is required when the receiving jurisdiction is a civil-law country — France, Spain, Germany, Italy and others — whose courts accept translations only from a translator registered on their national court list. It is not a UK legal category.
When does a legal translation need an apostille?
A legal translation needs an apostille when the final document will be used in a Hague Convention country and the receiving authority requires FCDO authentication of the signatory. The apostille is placed on the certified translation before it leaves the UK.
What is the turnaround time for legal translations?
Standard turnaround for legal translation is 2–3 working days for every document type, single-page or multi-page. Large technical, legal and regulatory projects are quoted individually. Same-day and weekend delivery is available at a 30–50% surcharge.
Can you deliver same-day or urgent legal translations?
Same-day legal translation is available for single-page documents delivered to the Covent Garden office before 11:00 Monday to Saturday, at a 30–50% surcharge on the standard price. Weekend delivery is available on the same surcharge band.
How do legal translation services ensure accuracy and confidentiality?
Legal translation accuracy and confidentiality are ensured through 4 controls: subject-specialist linguists drawn from CIOL, ITI and ATC registers, an ISO 17100 workflow with a second-linguist QC pass, UK GDPR-aligned data handling, and NDAs signed on request.
How does the ISO 17100 workflow apply to legal translation?
The ISO 17100 workflow requires a qualified translator to produce the target text, a second qualified linguist to revise it against the source, and a project manager to sign off delivery — the standard applied to every certified legal translation we release.
How is client confidentiality protected under UK GDPR?
Client confidentiality is protected through encrypted document intake, access limited to the assigned linguists, deletion of source and target files on a client-defined retention schedule, and handling aligned with the UK General Data Protection Regulation. NDAs are signed on request. Medico-legal submissions to insurers and coroners are handled by our Medical Translation team on the same confidentiality controls.
Do you use machine translation on privileged legal content?
Machine translation is not used on privileged legal content without written client consent. Every certified legal translation is produced by a human subject-specialist linguist and reviewed by a second linguist under ISO 17100.
Who translates our legal documents — linguists, accreditations and legal teams?
Our legal translations are produced by linguists registered with the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) or working under Association of Translation Companies (ATC) standards, each holding subject-matter specialism in the relevant area of law.
What qualifications do legal linguists hold?
Legal linguists on our roster hold a postgraduate translation qualification, CIOL or ITI membership, and documented experience in the relevant legal system — England and Wales, Scotland, or a foreign civil-law jurisdiction — before being assigned to legal work.
Which UK bodies accept our certified legal translations?
Our certified legal translations are accepted by HM Courts & Tribunals Service, the Home Office, the Land Registry, UK law firms, solicitors regulated by the SRA, and universities across England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
What is the difference between legal translation and legal interpreting?
Legal translation is the written conversion of legal documents; legal interpreting is the live oral conversion of speech during court hearings, depositions, arbitration proceedings and client conferences. The two are procured separately and priced on different models.
Do you offer legal interpreting services?
Legal interpreting services are available for court hearings, arbitration proceedings, depositions and solicitor-client conferences across London and the UK. Interpreters are booked by the half-day or day and matched to the legal specialism. Legal interpreters cover consecutive and simultaneous modes.
Do you offer legal transcription services?
Legal transcription services convert recorded hearings, depositions and client interviews into written transcripts, optionally followed by certified translation into a target language for use as evidence or disclosure material.
Why choose our legal translation services?
Our legal translation services combine an ISO 17100 workflow, CIOL/ITI/ATC-registered translators, 150+ language coverage, a signed certificate of accuracy on every job, a £25 personal-document floor, and a Covent Garden office open Monday to Saturday, 9:00–18:00.
The 6 questions below cover the most common queries UK law firms and private clients ask before commissioning a legal translation: cost, turnaround, certification, solicitor involvement, court acceptance and confidentiality.
Frequently asked questions
Can a solicitor certify a translation?
A solicitor can certify a translation only if they are also fluent in the source language and prepared to vouch for its accuracy — which is rare in practice. For the vast majority of UK official purposes (Home Office, HM Passport Office, courts, universities), a professional translation agency that issues a signed certificate of accuracy from a qualified translator is the accepted standard. Our certified translations follow an ISO 17100 process, are checked by a second linguist, and include a signed certificate of accuracy at no extra cost.
How much do translation services cost in the UK?
Certified translation in the UK typically costs £0.10–£0.20 per word, depending on the language pair and subject matter. Short personal documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas and passports are usually quoted at a fixed price per document — starting from £25. Large technical, legal or regulatory projects are quoted individually based on volume and complexity. A signed certificate of accuracy is included at no extra cost, and urgent same-day or weekend delivery is available at a 30–50% surcharge.
How much do translation services usually cost?
For certified translation of official documents in the UK, the standard rate is £0.10–£0.20 per word, varying by language pair and subject. Single personal documents — such as birth, marriage or death certificates, passports, IDs and diplomas — start from £25 per document on a fixed-price basis. Turnaround is 2–3 working days as standard, with same-day and weekend options available at a 30–50% surcharge. Complex legal or technical projects are scoped and quoted individually.
How do I translate a legal document?
To translate a legal document for official UK use, you need a certified translation produced by a qualified professional translator, not a bilingual friend or machine translation tool. The translator must be competent in the relevant legal subject matter, and the translation must be accompanied by a signed certificate of accuracy confirming it is a true and complete rendering of the original. At Certified Translation Services UK, all legal translations follow an ISO 17100 process, are reviewed by a second linguist, and are delivered within 2–3 working days as standard. Call +44 20 4569 1419 or visit us at Suite 544, Unit B, 63-66 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8LE to get a quote.
How much should I pay someone to translate a document?
For a certified translation of an official document in the UK, expect to pay £0.10–£0.20 per word or, for short personal certificates, a fixed price starting from £25 per document. The exact cost depends on the language pair, subject matter and urgency. Standard turnaround is 2–3 working days; same-day and weekend delivery carries a 30–50% surcharge. Always ensure the price includes a signed certificate of accuracy — at Certified Translation Services UK it is included at no extra cost.
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