Solicitor to certify translation
Thread poster: Mariana Rohlig Sa
Mariana Rohlig Sa
Mariana Rohlig Sa  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 08:56
Member (2012)
English to German
+ ...
Jun 27, 2011

Dear all,

I have a question for those living in London. Can anyone recommend a solicitor who certifies translations in London? I am translating about 5 documents from English into Portuguese for a visa application and will have to certify all of them. This is the first time I am doing this in the UK and I have heard all sorts of price ranges from £5 per document to £100. How much does a solicitor usually charge for this service? Can anyone help?

Any suggestions and ad
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Dear all,

I have a question for those living in London. Can anyone recommend a solicitor who certifies translations in London? I am translating about 5 documents from English into Portuguese for a visa application and will have to certify all of them. This is the first time I am doing this in the UK and I have heard all sorts of price ranges from £5 per document to £100. How much does a solicitor usually charge for this service? Can anyone help?

Any suggestions and advice on certifying translations are most welcome.

Mariana

[Edited at 2011-06-27 11:19 GMT]

[Edited at 2011-06-27 11:26 GMT]
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Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:56
Russian to English
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In memoriam
Various forms Jun 27, 2011

The simplest is an "affidavit": a solicitor certifies that you have signed an affidavit in his presence stating that your translation is complete and correct, and that you are who you say you are. In my experience this costs GBP7-9.
An "apostille" is sometimes required and this is a lot more expensive - I was quoted GBP65 for one of these but fortunately it turned out that an affidavit was all that was required.
There is also notarisation by a notary public, and I believe this is ev
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The simplest is an "affidavit": a solicitor certifies that you have signed an affidavit in his presence stating that your translation is complete and correct, and that you are who you say you are. In my experience this costs GBP7-9.
An "apostille" is sometimes required and this is a lot more expensive - I was quoted GBP65 for one of these but fortunately it turned out that an affidavit was all that was required.
There is also notarisation by a notary public, and I believe this is even more expensive.
Sorry, I can't suggest any solicitor nearer to London than Bishop's Stortford, and that would be too far away for your purposes.

[Edited at 2011-06-27 11:53 GMT]
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Mariana Rohlig Sa
Mariana Rohlig Sa  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 08:56
Member (2012)
English to German
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TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Jack. Jun 27, 2011

When signing an affidavit, do I simply attach this to the translation and the original document or do I also have to mark these documents (original and translation) in some way. And if so, what is the best way of doing this?

Do you know how much a solicitor usually charges for this service?

Regards,
Mariana


 
Aisha Maniar
Aisha Maniar  Identity Verified
Member
Arabic to English
+ ...
Similar question posted earlier (but into English) Jun 27, 2011

Hello Mariana,
I posted a similar question a while back: http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/149905-sworn_translations_in_england_and_wales:_how_to_get_it_done.html However, my translations were for use in the UK which has a common law system (i.e. no "certified" translators, etc.). As suggested by Jack, the simp
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Hello Mariana,
I posted a similar question a while back: http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/149905-sworn_translations_in_england_and_wales:_how_to_get_it_done.html However, my translations were for use in the UK which has a common law system (i.e. no "certified" translators, etc.). As suggested by Jack, the simplest method is to swear an affidavit before a solicitor - all solicitors are commissioners for oaths and should technically be able to do that. The cost quoted by Jack is what a local solicitor in north London charges me. I just went down to my local high street in the end and knocked on the doors of a few solicitors' offices there and finally found one who'd do it.

However, as your translations are into Portuguese, and thus for use in a Portuguese-speaking country, I assume, I think it's always best (and I always do this) to check with the client which authority the translation is for and what their procedure is - e.g. you may need to check with an embassy if they want the translation "certified" by one of their approved translators.

You may need the services of a notary public, in which case, some of the replies in my post above contain the details of notaries in London, but it is still best to check with the client first and the authorities who are going to use the translation, even if they are abroad. Of course, the cost of this service should be included in your quote to the client.

HTH, best wishes, Aisha
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Mariana Rohlig Sa
Mariana Rohlig Sa  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 08:56
Member (2012)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
contact details of North Londonsolicitor Jun 27, 2011

Dear Aisha,

Thank you for your reply. I've checked with the consulate and all they want is a translation certified by either a solicitor or a public notary. I also live in North London. Do you have the contact details of the solicitor you went to? And do you remember how much you paid?

Thanks again,
Mariana


 
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 04:56
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
WARNING - Portuguese for Brazil Jun 27, 2011

Aisha Maniar wrote:
However, as your translations are into Portuguese, and thus for use in a Portuguese-speaking country, I assume, I think it's always best (and I always do this) to check with the client which authority the translation is for and what their procedure is - e.g. you may need to check with an embassy if they want the translation "certified" by one of their approved translators.


I'm not trying to sell my wares here, and wouldn't be able to tell how it works in other Portuguese-speaking countries, but specifically Brazil has its law on sworn/certified translations since 1943.

The gist of it is explained on this page, and the bottom line is that your certified translation would not be valid for official purposes in Brazil. No honest, law-abiding Brazilian certified public translator would certify or validate your translation; at best they would copy it to their form (if they consider it 100% correct; revise it otherwise), and charge the statutory rates for the full translation. So it would be a waste of time and money for your client.

See the Brazilian Consulate in the UK page on this matter.


 
Mariana Rohlig Sa
Mariana Rohlig Sa  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 08:56
Member (2012)
English to German
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
European Portuguese Jun 27, 2011

Dear Jose,

Thank you for your comment. However, this translation is for Portugal where other regulations apply.

Regards
Mariana


 
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 04:56
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
For Portugal Jun 27, 2011

Mariana Rohlig Sa wrote:

Dear Jose,

Thank you for your comment. However, this translation is for Portugal where other regulations apply.

Regards
Mariana



Then the best information I have on the matter is found on this page.

The Portuguese Consulate there should be able to give you proper guidance, i.e. if they must do it themselves, or if they can legalize your translation. Quite possibly you'll have to go there, but this is likely to dismiss the need for a solicitor.


 


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Solicitor to certify translation






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