Legal Translation Services for Law Firms
Certified translation for attorneys: exhibits and discovery, documents served abroad, foreign law and judgments, contracts, and immigration filings.
Reviewed by Murat Saymaz, Global Certified Translations · Facts checked 4 November 2026
The short answer
Law firms need translation at four points: serving documents abroad (the Hague Service Convention lets the receiving country demand a translation, Article 5), taking evidence abroad (Hague Evidence Convention, Article 4), proving foreign law (Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 44.1), and filing foreign-language exhibits, which courts and USCIS accept only with a certified English translation.
Rules that apply
Each rule links to its source. Checked 4 November 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the office that will receive your documents.
| Rule | Source |
|---|---|
| A central authority may require a document served under the Convention to be written in, or translated into, the official language of the requested state. | Hague Service Convention (1965), Article 5 |
| A Letter of Request for evidence must be in the language of the authority asked to execute it, or accompanied by a translation into that language, unless that state accepts English or French. | Hague Evidence Convention (1970), Article 4 |
| In determining foreign law, a federal court may consider any relevant material or source; parties usually supply foreign statutes and cases in translation. | Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 44.1 |
| Foreign-language documents filed with USCIS need a full English translation certified as complete and accurate by a competent translator. | 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) |
| Document translation is not "compensation of interpreters" and cannot be taxed as costs in federal court. | Taniguchi v. Kan Pacific Saipan, Ltd., 566 U.S. 560 (2012) |
What law firms send us
Most legal translation work falls into a few streams, each with its own deadline logic. Litigation: exhibits, deposition exhibits, foreign judgments and expert reports, usually tied to a filing date. Cross-border service and evidence: complaints, summonses and Letters of Request that must reach a foreign authority in its language before the clock even starts. Transactions: contracts, corporate records and powers of attorney that a client will sign or rely on. Immigration: civil records and evidence packets where every page filed needs a certified translation.
Service abroad: the translation is part of service
Under the Hague Service Convention, many countries, among them Germany, China and Japan, require documents served through their central authority to be in their official language. A complaint served without a translation can be returned unserved, and the time that took is lost. Translate the documents to be served (summons, complaint and exhibits referred to in it) and keep the translator's certificate with the request. For Letters of Request under the Evidence Convention, check the requested state's declarations: some accept English, others require their language.
Foreign law and judgments
Proving foreign law under Rule 44.1, enforcing a foreign judgment or recognising a foreign divorce all start with an accurate translation of the statute, decision or decree. Legal systems use concepts that have no exact English equivalent: a French astreinte, a German Grundschuld, a Mexican amparo. We keep the original term in italics with a bracketed explanation the first time it appears, rather than substituting a US concept that carries different consequences.
Working with litigation teams
- Bates or exhibit numbers carried onto each translated page.
- One translator, or a small team with a shared term list, per matter, so a party's name and key terms are rendered the same way in every exhibit.
- Summary translations first for document review, certified translations only for what will be filed.
- Confidentiality: files handled only by the translators on the matter, and an NDA on request.
Individuals with legal documents
If you are not a firm but need a contract, court order or power of attorney translated, see legal document translation, which covers the common personal documents and what each receiving office expects.
What we don't do
We translate; we do not give legal advice, serve process, or provide courtroom or deposition interpreters. Where a foreign court requires a sworn translator of its own country, we will say so and the translation must be made there.
Documents we translate for this
Legal Document translation
Certified translation of court judgments, contracts, powers of attorney, affidavits and evidence for US and foreign courts.
Contract translation
Certified translation of contracts and leases: supply, distribution, employment, rental and sale agreements, for signing, courts, lenders and USCIS.
Deposition translation
Certified translation of foreign-language deposition transcripts, exhibits and errata for litigation, and of depositions taken abroad.
Power of Attorney translation
Certified translation of powers of attorney and affidavits for use abroad or in the US, with the order of notarization, apostille and …
Divorce Decree translation
Certified divorce decree translation for USCIS, remarriage, name changes and recognition of a divorce abroad.
Price
$39 for the first page (up to 250 words) into English, $49 into any other language, then $0.116 per additional word. Each file is priced on its own. The signed certificate of accuracy is included.
Full pricingTurnaround
24 hours standard for most documents. Expedited service is +50% for 6–8 hours and +100% for 1–3 hours. Large files are quoted with a delivery date before you pay.
Questions
Can you translate a foreign judgment we want to enforce?
Yes, the full judgment with its seals, certificates of finality and any apostille. Courts deciding recognition read the whole decision, so translate all of it.
Do documents served abroad under the Hague Convention need translating?
Often. Article 5 lets the receiving state require its official language, and many do. Check the state's declarations on the HCCH website before sending.
Can you handle a large discovery production?
Yes, in stages: summary translations for review, then certified translations of the documents you will use. We schedule batches with confirmed dates.
Are your translations accepted in court?
Each comes with a signed certificate of accuracy, which is what courts usually require. Where a local rule asks for a sworn or notarized certificate, we notarize it for $19 per document.
Related
Prepared by Global Certified Translations, Edgewater, NJ. Translations are signed by a State Court Certified Translator. This page explains translation requirements; it is not legal advice.
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