How do you handle translating legal documents for international clients?
We recently started working with clients outside the US, and one thing I completely underestimated was how complicated legal translation can get. Contracts, NDAs, service agreements. You know… at first I assumed it was mostly about translating text accurately, but it turns out wording matters a lot more when legal meaning is involved. Especially when you aren’t a lawyer at all, and even reading it in your language can sound confusing.
We initially tried using a freelance translator we found through a marketplace because the pricing seemed reasonable. The translation looked fine in the beginning, but when one of our overseas clients reviewed the agreement with their lawyer, they pointed out several phrases that were technically correct but let’s say, legally ambiguous in their country
That made me realize legal translation is very different from marketing or website content. Small wording differences can completely change interpretation, especially across jurisdictions.
Now I’m looking into agencies instead of individual freelancers because I’d rather have a process with review and specialization. I’ve been considering Ad Verbum since they seem to work with business and legal translations specifically, but I’m still comparing options.
Curious how others handle this, do you rely on agencies, legal translators, or local lawyers to review everything before sending documents internationally?