When you need to have complex legal documents or files translated, you should know how much these professional translation services are going to cost. Or if you are considering a career as a translation provider, it’s important to understand how much these specialists charge. We will provide a comprehensive overview of the cost of translating legal texts, files and paperwork.
What are legal translation services?
Legal translation services involve the translating of any kind of legal document, audiovisual file or text from the source language into a different, target language. There is a huge range of documents which fall under this description.
The following list is an example of some of the more commonly requested translation projects:
- Witness statements
- Immigration paperwork
- Business contracts
- Patent applications
- Identity documents e.g. birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate
- Legal proceedings documents
- Financial statements
- Wills
Each of these documents has significant legal status and must be translated with the utmost care and attention to detail. Mistranslations, mistakes or omissions could result in serious legal or financial consequences for any or all of the parties involved.
What are the types of legal translations?
Depending on the needs of the requesting authorities or country where the legal document is required, a certain type of legal translation will be required.
Certified Translations of legal documents
Certified translations are accompanied by a statement of truth which is signed and stamped by the translator. This document confirms that the translation is a true and accurate representation of the original source text or file. All UK government departments, HM Courts & Tribunals, UK Visas and Immigration, the Home Office and most public bodies in this country will accept certified translations.
Sworn Translations of legal documents
A sworn translation is carried out by a qualified, sworn translator. Once they have translated the legal document, they take it to a court or public official and swear an oath that it is a true and accurate representation of the original. An affidavit or sworn statement is attached to the translation and this is signed by the translator and stamped by the official.
The affidavit is attached to the translated document and the whole thing is considered the legal equivalent of the original document. This holds true as long as no part of the document is removed or lost. If this happens, it is no longer considered a sworn translation. Sworn translations are most often required in civil law countries like France, Spain or Italy and not typically required in the UK.
Notarised Translations of legal documents
A notarised translation of a legal document also requires the input of a third party, namely a notary public. The translator takes the completed translation to the notary public who adds their signature and seal to the document. This verifies the identity of the translator who must present some form of official ID. A notary public’s signature and stamp do not add any further weight to the truth or accuracy of the translated text.
Legalised Translations
Many notarised translation are later legalised. For legalisation, an apostille certificate is produced which renders the translation acceptable in any country which legally recognises the apostille. These countries are signatories the Hague Convention of 1961. An apostille translation is not recognised in some countries and another form of legalisation will be necessary.
What are the factors that influence the cost of legal translations?
There are many factors which influence the cost of a legal translation including those dictated by the document itself, the requirements of the requesting authority and the necessary presentation of the finished translation. Let’s take a look at how a certified translation is done to demonstrate what contributes to the overall cost of a translation.
Cost of Certified Translation of legal documents
The cost of having a certified translation of a legal document can be broken down into the following categories:
- Length of the text
- Complexity of the document
- Source, target languages
- Formatting
- Type of certification required
To fully understand how this affects the average cost of a legal translation we need to break down further what is involved in a certified translation service of an official document.
Text Length
How many words are in the document will directed affect how much you pay although how this is calculated often varies. Some companies charge clients a set cost per page, while others prefer a per word pricing structure. Either way, the price for translating a long document compared to a short one, such as a birth certificate, will be higher.
Document Complexity
Only a translator, translation company or agency who specialises in legal translations should ever translate this kind of document. A deep understanding of legal terminology is needed to produce a high quality translation. As noted, mistakes and omissions can be costly, both in legal and financial terms. Therefore, legal expertise is vital and careful attention is needed to ensure that the translation is without error.
Language Pair
There is little differentiation in cost within individual translation companies when working with more common languages e.g. English, Spanish and French . However, when a rare or unusual language combination is involved the price for translation can rise. This is because there are fewer legal translation experts for uncommon languages.
Formatting
When the formatting of a text for translation has to be the same as the original, this can increase the cost. Translating stamps, seals and watermarks for example can be time consuming and incur higher fees. Superimposing text over images or making sure that all of the target language fits on the document takes skill. The costs associated with these services can increase the overall price.
Certification Required
It’s important to note that prices for different types of certification are dependent on the individual translator, translation agency or company. There are no set industry standard rates for certified, sworn, notarised and legalised translations. However, the need for a third party for notarised and sworn translation generally means higher prices.
Price of certified translation of legal documents
At Espresso Translations, a certified translation which is accepted by all UK authorities and supported by a statement of truth, costs from £30 plus VAT. A sworn translation, accompanied by a sworn affidavit costs from £50 plus VAT. Notarised translations which authenticate the signature of the translator and verify their identity as a qualified professional, cost from £90 plus VAT. A legalised translation, accompanied by an apostille, similarly costs from £90 plus VAT.
Although we have differentiated between the different types of document translation, all professionally translated documents must have certification. They should be certified, sworn, notarised or legalised. A certified translation means one that is accompanied by a document signed by the translator that it is a true and accurate representation of the original document.
How much does a professional translation usually cost?
There are many translation and interpreting services in the UK, all of which have their own translation fees. So, there is no average cost for translating and it is not possible to provide a standardised price.
Per-piece or per word legal translation costs
When trying to gain an understanding of how to calculate the cost of a legal translation, it’s helpful to be aware of the various pricing methods. Some translation companies charge per word, others per page while a number will give a price for an entire project.
Pricing per word is exactly what it sounds like. The cost of translation will be determined by the number of words which need translating from the original language to the target language. For audio or video files, a per minute pricing structure is usual so the length of the file will determine how much the translation will cost.
A translation per page price is also easy to understand and the number of pages in the document will affect the cost of translation. For example, a birth certificate is just one page in the UK so will cost less than, for example, a multiple page court document.
How much does a 1000 word translation cost?
It is not possible to give a definitive cost for a 1000 word document translation as there are so many factors that affect the cost other than the word count, as previously discussed. However, as an example, if a qualified translator charges £0.25 per word, the cost to translate that document would be £250. The type of document will also affect the cost of translation services and legal, medical and technical documents can cost considerably more due to the necessary subject matter expertise.
Do all professional translators charge the same?
Espresso Translations is a professional translation agency that offers affordable translation for all types of documents and files with a clear per word pricing policy and no hidden fees or extras. Contact us today for a free no-obligation quote. One of our team will get back to you within an hour.
However, the translation rates charged by other professional legal translators will vary. Regional differences, levels of experience and specialisms are all likely to affect how much translation services cost across the UK.
Do agencies and freelancers charge different amounts?
Yes, you’ll find that freelance translation pricing is different to that charged by a translation agency. There are several reasons for these different document translation rates. A freelance translator will typically specialise in one sector or industry, matching their professional experience. They can set their own translation pricing but often can only work on one project at a time so need to cover their operating costs and other business overheads from these smaller projects.
On the other hand, a translation service provider in the form of a company or agency, is larger and can cover many translation disciplines. This means projects in greater number, translators available in multiple languages and so the ability to offer various document translation rates. Larger enterprises can spread costs in a way that a single translator cannot.
Are all language translations the same cost?
No, as mentioned above common languages have a greater number of qualified translators which means there is more competition therefore lower prices for these services. With rare or uncommon languages or language pairs, there will be significantly fewer professional translators who can take on such projects which means the cost will be higher. Not only does this person have to be a qualified linguist but as in the case of legal document translation, they also need to have legal expertise too which means higher fees.
Is it cheaper to have an in-house legal translator?
It’s rare for a situation to arise where you would be able to financially justify having an in-house legal translator. Unless you are a global, multi national organisation, in which case you may need such a service and can probably afford it. For most individuals and businesses it makes more sense to use certified legal document translation services as and when they are needed.
Legal translation costs compared to regular translation
Every language service provider will have their own way of pricing but in general, legal translations are more expensive than regular translation. There are several reasons for this difference.
Why is legal translation more expensive than regular translation?
The most obvious reason for the difference between a regular translation and a legal translation is the need for the translator to understand exactly what they are working with. This doesn’t just refer to the language pair involved but the specialist knowledge that they need in order to complete an accurate and complete translation.
As the repercussions for a badly translated legal document can be very serious, it is vital that the person doing the translation is properly qualified. This means they must have experience in the specific aspect of the law that the document deals with. For international or cross border legal knowledge an accurate cultural translation is necessary.
Is a certified translation more expensive?
A certified translation is the most cost effective translation option offered by Espresso Translations. This type of translation is accepted by all UK government and public bodies, educational institutions and the court system. Most other common law countries, such as the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand also accept certified translations.
How much does machine translation cost?
With the proliferation of software that can translate text, it is understandable that people wonder if it is a more inexpensive solution to their translation needs.
What is machine translation?
Machine translation, also called automated translation, involves a software programme translating text from one language to another. The programme searches databases for the information it needs to compare and match against the text it’s translating. However, there are three different types of machine translation, rules-based, statistical and neural, each of which works in a different way.
Is computer translation software reliable?
Computer translation software can be used for everyday translation and on the whole works well. However, many programmes translate each word or phrase and pay no attention to the context of the content. They also cannot make allowances for cultural influences and nuances in the language, often sounding stilted and sometimes not making much sense.
When translating a legal document, accuracy is everything. For this reason, it is not advisable to rely on a machine translation. No official authority will accept a legal translation that you have completed yourself on a computer, it is highly likely to contain errors and there will be no certification.
Also read: What is legal translation and what makes it different
How much should I charge for translating a document?
If you have recently qualified as a professional translator, you may be wondering what is a reasonable cost of certified translation services and how you should charge your clients.
Should I charge per piece or per word?
The pricing structure that you choose will depend on the type of documents you plan to work with. For longer, complex texts you should consider a per word system while a per piece price plan may be better suited for more routine work such as translating passports, birth certificates, etc. Of course, you need to make sure you are covering your costs and actually able to make a living, so it may take some time to figure out what works best for you.
Can I charge more if i have more experience?
Experience is a valuable commodity so yes, you can begin to charge more as you become established as an accurate and reliable translator. You could gain valuable experience working somewhere like the Legal Aid Agency for a while before striking out on your own.
Conclusion
Legal translations are some of the most important and complex documents to translate and yet these are everyday, vital services for countless individuals and businesses. Knowing the type of certification that is needed, finding a reliable translation company and working out the costs are all important considerations before deciding to go ahead.
Espresso Translations can help you with each step of the process. We provide a no-obligation translation quote. On acceptance, we will request your source documents, translate, format and proofread the translation and return it to you within the agreed timescale and with the correct certification. And all at an affordable and reasonable price.
