When you’re going through a painful and stressful situation such as a divorce, the last thing you need is having to cope with a load of legal jargon. We regularly provide sworn translations for clients who married abroad but who are divorcing in a UK court. The whole process can seem rather daunting so we have put together a guide to getting a sworn translation, including explanations of the most common legal vocabulary that crops up in the translation process.
Whether you are preparing for the beginning of the divorce process or whether you already have a hearing date set, the sooner you get in contact the better; especially if your marriage certificate is in an unusual language.
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A sworn translation… means that the translator signs the translation in front of a person authorised to administer oaths such as a solicitor or commissioner of oaths. |
Given that the translator will have to go in person to swear the translation, it is advisable to get in contact early to ensure that the necessary translator will be available to arrange and attend an appointment with a local solicitor or commissioner of oaths.
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A commissioner of oaths… has the power to administer oaths or take affidavits. As well as solicitors, certain other professions are commissioners for oaths including barristers. |
You can get in touch with us via email to transaction@transaction.co.uk, or by telephone on +44 (0) 114 266 1103. We suggest that you have your marriage certificate to hand as your Project Manager at TransAction will need to know where your marriage certificate was issued and what language it is in.
In order to provide you with an accurate quote, we will need to see copy of your document. We have a guide to help you here. We also have some examples on our Get a Price page for you to get an idea of price. Should you decide to go ahead, we will forward you details of how to pay.
In addition, you will need to provide the name of the court in which the case is to be heard, the full name of the petitioner and the full name of the respondent.
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The petitioner… is the party that initiates the legal proceeding i.e. the person filing for divorce The respondent… is the party who responds or appeals to the legal proceedings i.e. the person against whom the divorce is filed
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These details must be correct and it is recommended that you check the spellings of all names match those that are filed with the court. It may be that the spellings of the names differ from those on the marriage certificate which is often the case when names have been transliterated from a different alphabet or if the wife is using her maiden name. It is essential that these details are correct because they will appear on the affidavit.
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An affidavit… is a declaration in writing made upon oath by the translator before a person authorised to administer oaths. It is this declaration that the translator and the solicitor will sign. It states the translator’s qualification and that a true translation has been provided. The original and the translation are attached and they are called ‘Exhibits’. A solemn declaration.... is another name for an affidavit as it starts with the words ‘I do solemnly declare…’
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Once our translator has completed the translation, we will send you an electronic version via email for your approval. Once we have your approval, we will instruct our translator to swear the translation. The sworn translation comprises the affidavit, a copy of the original and the translation.
Once the translation has been sworn, we will return it to you via Special Delivery. This service is included in the price of a sworn translation. Should you wish we can post the translation to your work address if it is more convenient.
Should you require any more information or if you are unsure about whether or not you require a sworn translation, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Our email address is transaction@transaction.co.uk and our telephone number is +44 (0) 114 266 1103. Our offices are open from 9am -5.30 pm Monday to Friday.