Legal, Court and Medical Document Translation

Legal, court and medical translation at a glance

Legal and medical documents carry consequences: a mistranslated custody order, contract clause or medication history can affect rights, money and health. These documents need professional translators who know the terminology in both languages, a complete translation with nothing omitted, and a signed certificate of accuracy. Some uses also require notarization or an apostille. This guide covers the documents we translate most often for attorneys, courts, hospitals, insurers and families.

Legal documents we translate

• Contracts, agreements and corporate documents
• Powers of attorney and affidavits
• Divorce decrees, custody orders and court judgments
• Wills, trusts and estate documents
• Police reports and criminal records
• Immigration evidence and supporting documents
• Complaints, pleadings and discovery documents

Court use in Massachusetts

Spoken interpretation in Massachusetts courtrooms is handled by the Trial Court's Office of Court Interpreter Services, which is separate from document translation. When you file a foreign-language document in a Massachusetts court, you generally need to provide an English translation, and the court or opposing counsel may ask for a translator's affidavit or a notarized certificate of accuracy. Your attorney will tell you what the court requires. We provide certified and notarized translations and work directly with law firms. See For Law Firms.

Medical documents we translate

• Medical records and discharge summaries
• Vaccination and immunization records
• Prescriptions and medication histories
• Lab results and imaging reports
• Insurance claims and medical bills
• Disability and fitness-for-work certificates
• Clinical research documents for life sciences companies. See Clinical Research and CROs.

Medical records and privacy

Medical records contain sensitive personal information. We handle every document confidentially, share it only with the translators working on it, and deliver translations securely. For medical records needed in a legal or insurance matter, a sworn statement from the records custodian may also be needed. See Medical Records Affidavits.

Documents for use abroad

What sets professional legal and medical translation apart

• Translators who know the legal or medical terminology in both languages.
• Terminology kept consistent across every document in a matter.
• Formatting that mirrors the original so reviewers can compare pages.
• Nothing summarized, softened or omitted.
• A second review for high-stakes documents.
• A signed certificate of accuracy, with notarization and apostille available.

Working with law firms and corporate legal teams

We support law firms and in-house legal teams with recurring translation, notarization and apostille work: foreign evidence, cross-border transactions, estate matters and immigration cases. We keep terminology consistent across a matter, meet filing deadlines and coordinate notarization and authentication in the same order. Business accounts are available. See Business Account Setup.

Common legal and medical translation mistakes

• Literal translation of legal concepts. Legal systems differ; a skilled translator renders the concept accurately and adds a translator's note when there is no direct equivalent.
• Inconsistent terminology. The same party, court or medication must be translated the same way throughout a matter.
• Omitted stamps, seals and handwritten notes. These often carry legal significance.
• Unit and dosage errors. Medical translations must preserve dosages, units and dates exactly.
• Machine translation. Automated tools are not appropriate for documents with legal or medical consequences.