Legal translation is the field of translation where a mistake has direct financial and legal consequences. One wrongly translated term in a contract changes the parties' obligations, an inaccurate translation of a court judgment halts enforcement in another jurisdiction, and a vague wording in a power of attorney ends with a refusal by a notary or a bank. That is why companies, law firms and international investors see legal translation not as a language service but as an instrument of legal risk management. This page is the central page of our legal translation practice. It explains what professional legal translation means, how the confidentiality of your documents is protected, what the difference is between translation, notarization and the apostille, and which six sub-areas our service comprises.
Why legal translation differs from other translation
In translating an ordinary text the translator is free to convey the meaning in natural, free wording. In a legal text that freedom does not exist. Every word carries a specific legal weight and often rests on court practice formed over years.
Georgian law belongs to the continental tradition, while most English-language documents come from the common law system. This means that many terms simply have no direct equivalent. "Consideration", "estoppel", "indemnity", "escrow": these concepts either exist in Georgian law in a different form or do not exist at all. A professional legal translator does not translate words; they convey the legal effect and, where needed, add an explanatory note.
What quality legal translation requires
- knowledge of the logic of both legal systems, not only the vocabulary
- terminological consistency across the whole document and the related documents
- exact preservation of the structure, numbering and format of the original
- a full check by a second legal editor
- use of the client's terminology base in ongoing cooperation
Confidentiality: NDA and data protection
Legal documents almost always contain trade secrets: the terms of a transaction, financial indicators, shareholder agreements, the strategy of an ongoing dispute. So for us confidentiality is not an optional extra but a basic condition of the working process.
- every translator and editor works under a signed non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
- at the client's request we sign an individual NDA for a specific project or on the company's template
- files are transferred over an encrypted channel, without public messengers or open email
- only the team assigned to the project has access to the documents
- the retention period and the deletion procedure are agreed with the client in advance
ISO standards and quality control
The international benchmark of the professional translation industry is the ISO 17100 standard, which defines the translator's qualification, the mandatory editing stage and the project management procedures. Our working process is built precisely on these principles: translation, independent editing, final check and keeping a quality record.
In information security we follow the logic of ISO 27001: access control, encrypted transfer, management of the life cycle of files. For a B2B client this means that when procuring legal translation, an audit of our process and confirmation of compliance with your internal compliance requirements are possible.
Translation, notarization and apostille: what the difference is
These three concepts are often confused, although each solves a different problem.
1. Professional translation
The exact transfer of the document's content into the target language by a qualified legal translator. This is the basic stage without which no subsequent procedure makes sense. For internal use, negotiations or legal analysis this is often all that is needed.
2. Notarization
The notary certifies the authenticity of the translator's signature and their qualification. A certified translation is needed for submission to state bodies, courts, banks and the Public Registry. Importantly, the notary does not check the substantive correctness of the translation but the fact that the translation was made by an identified, qualified person.
3. Apostille
The apostille is a form of international certification under the 1961 Hague Convention. It confirms the authenticity of the signature and seal on the document so that the document is recognised in another member country of the Convention. The apostille is placed on the original or on the notarized translation, depending on the country's requirement. We help the client determine the correct order, because the wrong sequence often means starting the whole procedure again.
Our legal translation areas
Legal translation is not a homogeneous service. Each type of document has its own terminology, format and legal risk profile. So our service is divided into six specialised areas:
- Contract translation - corporate, commercial and employment contracts, non-disclosure agreements (NDA), supply and distribution contracts
- Court judgment translation - court judgments and rulings, claims, defences, arbitration materials, witness statements
- Power of attorney translation - general and special powers of attorney, notarial deeds, consents and declarations for submission abroad
- Founding document translation - charters, founding agreements, shareholder agreements, Register of Entrepreneurs extracts, corporate resolutions
- Tender documentation translation - bids, qualification documents, technical and financial proposals for international procurement
- Intellectual property and licence translation - patent applications, trademark documentation, licence agreements, copyright agreements
Each area has its own page describing in detail the document types, the working process and the typical difficulties.
Who this service is for
- law firms and legal practices with international clients or disputes abroad
- Georgian representative offices and subsidiaries of international companies
- foreign investors founding a company or acquiring property in Georgia
- banks, insurance and financial organisations with regulated document flows
- state and private organisations taking part in international tenders
How the work proceeds
- Assessment of the document: volume, language pair, area of law, the required form of certification
- Fixing the deadline in writing
- Translation by a specialised legal translator
- Independent editing by a second legal specialist
- Where needed, notarization and arranging the apostille
- Delivery in the agreed format: electronically, in print or both
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between legal translation and a notarized translation?
Legal translation is the specialisation of the translation itself, while notarization is the procedure of confirming the translator's signature. For internal use a professional translation is often enough; for submission to official bodies certification is mandatory.
Can you sign our company's NDA?
Yes. We work under both our standard and the client's own non-disclosure agreement, before the project starts.
In which languages do you do legal translation?
The main directions are English, Russian, German, French, Turkish and other European and Asian languages. A translator specialised in legal translation works on each language pair.
How long does a contract translation take?
The deadline depends on the volume and complexity. As standard, a 10-15 page contract with editing is ready within 2-3 working days; for an urgent order the deadline is agreed individually.
How do you maintain terminological consistency in large projects?
For every regular client we create a terminology base and a translation memory, which ensure that the same term is translated identically in every document.
Is an apostille needed for every foreign document?
No. An apostille is needed only when the document is being prepared for submission in another member country of the Hague Convention. With some countries a bilateral agreement applies that removes the need for legalization. We establish the correct procedure for the specific case before the order starts.