Legal Translation Service

Qualified and experienced legal translators

Working in over 200 languages, our specialist legal translators work for a wide range of legal and associated professions.  We never know from day to the next what sort of materials our teams will be translating.

• Letters
• Birth certificates
• Death certificates
• Marriage certificates
• Divorce certificates
• Academic certificates
• Passports
• Statements
• Audits
• Contracts
• Patents
• Summons
• Release forms
• Mortgage agreements
• Witness statements
• Financial agreements
• Declarations

Certification of translations

Some authorities demand that you supply certified translations of your translated documents.  This means that even if you are bilingual and understand what has been written and could attempt the translation yourself, the relevant authority is unlikely to accept your version.  They will be looking for a translation independently carried out and by an appropriately qualified linguist.

We offer 3 main types of certification:

It is important that you check with the appropriate authority which type of certification they will accept.

Digital certification

The first type of certification comes in the form of a letter printed on Knockhundred’s letterhead certifying that, as a professional translation company, Knockhundred has undertaken the translation.  Each page of the translation itself is also stamped.  This type of certification is generally supplied in digital format.  By special arrangement, we can also provide the certification in hard copy format by post.

Notarised, sworn or legalised translation

The second type of certification is where the translation is stamped and signed by a Notary Public. A notarised translation is also sometimes referred to as a “sworn” translation but we don’t tend to use this phrase so much in the UK. It can also be called a legalised translation.

A Notary Public is an officer of the law empowered to attest or confirm certain oaths, statutory declarations and documents under his seal.

Working from your documents, our qualified linguists will provide a translation of the original. Once certified by us, a Notary Public will add the official seal. The Notary Publish is stamping the translation rather than attesting to the legitimacy of the original.

You do not need to be located near our offices as the entire process is conducted digitally and by post.

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) legalisation of translations

Some authorities insist on this extra step. Once notarised by a Notary Public and confirmed as true, the translations and any associated original documents are further verified and stamped by the FCO.

Our legal linguists

All legal translation work is conducted by highly qualified translators. We ensure that each individual project is undertaken by the most suitable translator whose educational and professional background matches the project in hand.

The performance of our translators is monitored based against key performance criteria: accuracy, consistency, knowledge of subject terminology, formatting and completeness. They are re-evaluated regularly to ensure the high standards are maintained.

With the exception of linguists covering languages with rare status, as a minimum, our translators:

• must have a relevant first degree, postgraduate qualification or corresponding qualification
• are able to demonstrate a number of years full time work in an appropriate field.

We assign a project manager to every assignment to ensure the project runs smoothly and is delivered on time and within budget.

Just let us know how we can help you.

Whom do we work with?

We work with a wide range of clients in the legal sector as well as private individuals including:

• Solicitors
• Courts
• Police forces
• Prisons
• Accountants
• Public sector organisations
• EU organisations
• Businesses
• Video and film production companies
• Financial organisations