Legal translation and interpreting services

Trusted by legal professionals since 1991

When you’re dealing with legal documents, there’s very little room for error. A mistranslated clause, an incorrect date or a misunderstood legal term can have serious consequences.

At Atlas Translations, we’ve been supporting solicitors, law firms, legal departments, courts and other legal professionals with specialist translation and interpreting services since 1991.

Whether you need a contract translated, an interpreter for a legal meeting, certified translations for court proceedings or assistance with a large volume of documentation, our experienced team is here to help.

We understand that legal work often involves sensitive information, complex terminology and demanding deadlines. We also understand that you need a reliable language services partner who will ask the right questions, keep you informed and deliver what you’ve agreed.

Legal translation isn’t just about getting the words right. It’s about understanding what those words mean in context.

Specialist legal translation services

Legal terminology can vary considerably between countries and legal systems. A term used in English law may not have a direct equivalent in another jurisdiction, even where the languages appear similar.

That’s why we work with professional translators who have specialist experience in legal translation and an understanding of the relevant terminology, subject matter and legal context.

We can help with a wide range of legal documentation, including:

• Commercial contracts and agreements
• Terms and conditions
• Court documents, judgements and orders
• Witness statements and evidence
• Litigation and arbitration documentation
• Powers of attorney
• Wills, probate and inheritance documents
• Property and conveyancing documentation
• Employment contracts and tribunal documents
• Company formation and corporate documentation
• Intellectual property and licensing agreements
• Regulatory and compliance documentation
• Immigration and nationality documents
• Legal correspondence and supporting documentation

From a single-page document to a substantial multilingual project, we’ll discuss your requirements and agree the most appropriate approach.

Legal interpreting services

Sometimes a written translation isn’t enough. You need people to understand one another clearly, often in situations where the subject matter is sensitive, technical or legally significant.

Atlas provides professional interpreting services for legal professionals and organisations, including:

• Client consultations and solicitor meetings
• Witness interviews
• Court and tribunal proceedings
• Hearings and legal conferences
• Mediation and dispute resolution
• Employment and disciplinary matters
• Meetings involving international parties

Depending on your requirements, we can arrange:

Face-to-face interpreting – for meetings, hearings and other situations where an interpreter needs to attend in person.

Video remote interpreting – pre-booked interpreting through video conferencing platforms, allowing participants in different locations to communicate.

Telephone interpreting – including our 24/7 on-demand telephone interpreting service, particularly useful when an unexpected language requirement arises.

Consecutive and simultaneous interpreting – depending on the nature of the proceedings, number of participants and practical arrangements.

Not sure which type of interpreting you need? Tell us about the situation, and we’ll explain the options.

Court translation and interpreting

Legal proceedings can involve substantial quantities of documentation, specialist terminology and strict deadlines.

We support legal professionals with the translation of documents required for court proceedings, including witness statements, correspondence, evidence, judgements and supporting materials.

We also arrange professional interpreters for court-related assignments, subject to the relevant court’s requirements and interpreter availability.

Our experience includes working with HM Coroner’s offices and supporting legal professionals who need reliable translation and interpreting services.

If your project involves court proceedings, please tell us the jurisdiction, intended use and any particular certification or interpreter requirements. This helps us recommend the right service from the outset.

Legal aid translation and interpreting

We have extensive experience supporting legal professionals with translation requirements relating to legal aid cases. We appreciate the importance of managing costs carefully while maintaining the accuracy and professionalism required for legal work.

Where applicable, we can provide quotations that take account of legal aid requirements and relevant rates. Please let us know at the enquiry stage if your project is legally aided, along with any applicable funding or cost restrictions. We’ll explain what can be provided and the likely costs before work begins.

Certified, notarised and legalised translations

Some legal documents require more than a standard translation. Depending on the purpose and the authority receiving the document, you may need a certified, notarised or legalised translation.

Certified translations

We can provide translations accompanied by a signed certification confirming the translation’s accuracy and completeness.

Notarised translations

Where required, we can arrange for the appropriate documentation to be notarised.

Legalised or apostilled translations

For documents being submitted to authorities overseas, additional authentication may be required. We can advise on the translation arrangements and help organise the relevant process where applicable.

Always check

Requirements vary between countries, courts and authorities, so we always recommend checking what the receiving organisation will accept.

If you’re unsure what level of certification you need, ask us before a project starts. It’s much easier to establish the correct requirements at the beginning than to discover that something different is needed afterwards.

Confidentiality and secure handling of legal documents

Confidentiality is essential in legal work. Whether your documents concern a commercial dispute, an employment matter, a family case or a confidential corporate transaction, you need to know that information is being handled responsibly.

Atlas takes confidentiality and information security seriously.

Our working practices include:

• Confidentiality obligations within our supplier agreements
• Careful selection of appropriate professional translators and interpreters
• Controlled access to project information
• Secure handling of client documentation
• Established quality management procedures
• Cyber Essentials certification
• Respect for client-specific confidentiality and security requirements

We are also happy to discuss non-disclosure agreements and particular project security requirements. We do not authorise our translators to use AI translation tools for client projects unless this has been specifically agreed.

For sensitive legal material, knowing how your documents will be handled is just as important as knowing who will translate them.

Why legal professionals choose Atlas

Over 35 years of experience

Established in 1991, we’ve spent decades supporting organisations that need accurate, dependable professional language services.

Specialist human translators

We select professional translators with the relevant linguistic and subject expertise. Legal translation requires judgement, research and an understanding of context, not simply word-for-word substitution.

ISO-certified quality processes

Atlas is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 17100, demonstrating our commitment to established quality management and translation service standards.

A real person managing your project

Your project is looked after by an experienced in-house project manager who can answer questions, coordinate suppliers and keep you informed.

Clear quotations and agreed deadlines

We’ll discuss your documents, intended use, language requirements and timescales before confirming the appropriate service and cost.

More than translation

From certified documents and multilingual litigation support to telephone interpreting and transcription, we can coordinate a range of language requirements through one experienced team.

Legal translation across languages and jurisdictions

Legal matters increasingly cross international borders. You may be dealing with overseas clients, international contracts, foreign-language evidence, multinational organisations or documentation originating in another legal system.

Atlas works with professional linguists across a wide range of languages and subject specialisms. We take account of the intended audience, relevant jurisdiction and purpose of the document when planning your translation. For example, a contract intended for use in England and Wales may require a different approach from one intended for use in France, Germany or another jurisdiction.

We don’t provide legal advice, but we do recognise when linguistic and jurisdictional differences need to be raised with the client.

That’s one of the benefits of working with experienced human translators and project managers: we care enough to ask.

Working with Atlas: what happens next?

1. Tell us what you need

Send us your documents, language requirements, deadline and any particular instructions. Let us know whether the translation is for internal reference, legal review, court submission or another official purpose.

2. We assess your requirements

We’ll review the material, identify any particular linguistic or technical considerations and prepare a clear quotation.

3. We select the right linguists

We assign suitable professional translators or interpreters according to the language combination, subject matter and project requirements.

4. We manage the project

Your project manager oversees the work, coordinates queries and keeps you updated. Where appropriate, we can arrange additional revision, certification or other services.

5. We deliver your completed work

You’ll receive the agreed deliverables in the required format, within the confirmed timescale.