In our increasingly international business environment, cross-border litigation is becoming far more common, and that means the need for litigation translation is greater than ever before. The recent sparring between Samsung and Apple is a reminder that high-stakes matters often involve companies based in different countries, speaking different languages. Litigation translation services including document translation, document sifting/review, and interpretation can assist clients during discovery and may prove essential in winning your case.
During the discovery phase of an international lawsuit, hundreds, if not thousands, of foreign-language documents are gathered that may be relevant to your case. The cost for translating every document may prove prohibitive. One litigation translation service that might prove helpful is document sifting, where an expert translator sifts through these documents on-site or online, filtering and prioritizing the documents based on the criteria you provide. The translators can also quickly summarize key documents. Document sifting can help you save both time and money by ensuring that only those documents that you really need are translated.
It’s important to keep in mind that if documents translated for litigation will need to be submitted in court, it is necessary to obtain a certified translation, and to check to see if the court has any special requirements regarding the certification. In the U.S., a standard certification will usually suffice. But for courts overseas, a notarized or apostille certification may be required.