Translation of contracts

The translation of contracts plays an important role in both the business world and the private sector. Highly qualified and certified translators are indispensable for establishing trust between companies and building a company’s reputation. Contracts are often negotiated in lengthy discussions beforehand, and any ambiguities or misunderstandings could have serious consequences. The contractual agreement must therefore be translated into the business partner’s target language using clear and precise terminology. Thus, you will not only make a good impression on your business partner, but will also be legally covered in the case of discrepancies or a breach of contract. Before a foreign contract is signed, it should therefore always be carefully checked by a professional translator.

Private individuals also sometimes require translations, for example of work contracts, employment contracts, rental or lease agreements, loan agreements, marriage contracts or sponsorship agreements. No compromises should be made with the quality of the translation. Incorrect translations could lead to financial losses or legal disputes.

In some cases, contracts must also be translated by sworn specialist translators. Certified translations are used for submission to authorities, registry offices, lawyers, insurance companies, hospitals or educational institutions. They will only be accepted if they have been prepared by a sworn translator. Such a translator should therefore not only be suitably trained and specialized in the relevant field, but must also have taken a translator’s oath at the competent regional court for the languages he or she offers. Sworn translators are obliged to translate the entire text faithfully and conscientiously. The translator's attestation clause states the regional court and federal state where they were sworn in and also for which languages they were sworn in. It also indicates the language of the original document (source document). In order to certify that their translation is correct and complete, the translators must affix their personal seal and signature to it.

The translation of legal contracts is very particular, as the translator must have the necessary legal expertise. Furthermore, there are differences between the legal systems of different countries. For example, there are sometimes specialist terms in the source language that do not have suitable equivalents in the target language. This happens for the simple reason that certain conditions do not exist in the legal system of the other country. Discrepancies in the source and target languages can both be attributed to cultural and historical reasons and have a time-event character. While the Russian and European legal tradition originally comes from the Roman legal system, British law comes from the Anglo-Saxon legal system. These differences between the sources of legal norms, court systems or liability measures are often reflected in the specialist terminology.

Contract translations of all kinds are required in both the business world and the private sector. Internationally operating companies, for example, often need the following contracts:

Important examples of legal translations are: