A translation can be linguistically correct and still mean something else in law. A legal review is a second reading of the translation by a lawyer: I check that the concepts, rights, obligations and references to legislation mean the same as they do in the original. I do it myself – I hold a master’s degree in law from Vilnius University.
Three examples
Pirkėjas sumoka kainą per 10 dienų.
The Buyer pays the price within 10 days.
The Buyer shall pay the price within 10 days.
Lithuanian drafting states obligations in the present tense. In English, the plain present reads as a description, not a duty.
ieškinio senaties terminas
claim prescription term
limitation period
English has its own term for this. A literal rendering is not what an English-speaking lawyer would recognise or search for.
UAB „Medis“
Closed Joint-Stock Company “Medis”
UAB Medis, a private limited company
The company’s registered name stays as it is. Its legal form can be explained, but it should not become a new name.
What I check
- Legal concepts. Whether a term fits the legal system of the target country rather than simply matching the dictionary.
- Rights and obligations. Whether the translation still says who must do what, and who may.
- Time limits and conditions. Whether deadlines, exceptions and provisos (“except”, “provided that”) stay the same.
- References to legislation. Official titles and the numbering of articles, paragraphs and points.
- Defined terms and cross-references. Whether each defined term is translated the same way throughout and whether clause numbers match.
- Details. Party names, registration numbers, dates, amounts and currencies.
What you get
The reviewed translation with all corrections already made, and a short list of notes. If I find an ambiguity or an error in the original, I do not fix it in the translation: I reproduce it and flag it in the notes so that you can decide.
When it is worth it
- contracts, annexes and amendments, especially when the translation will be signed;
- powers of attorney, articles of association, shareholder and board resolutions;
- court and other procedural documents;
- terms and conditions, privacy policies, internal rules;
- any translation you will file with a court, a notary or a public authority.
What it does not cover
A legal review is not legal advice or a legal opinion. I do not assess whether the terms are in your interest, and I do not negotiate for you or represent you. If something in the original looks unusual, I flag it in the notes, and your lawyer should assess it.
Price and how to order
Translation with legal review costs from €14 per page excl. VAT, or from €17 incl. VAT for private clients (one page is 1,700 characters without spaces). Tick “With legal review” in the form.
If you already have a translation (by another translator or by machine translation), I can review that too. Choose “Legal review” in the form and attach both the original and the translation. I will quote once I have seen both.