Let’s start with a true story: A lawyer representing a well-known rental car agency called our office looking for a quote to have a specific rental agreement translated into Spanish. We provided the quote. His response was, “I can have someone at a local restaurant do it for half that price.” Our response was, “That may be true. When the first accident happens, please call us back and let us know how the trial went.” He said, “you are right, please go ahead with the translation.”
Not all documents carry the same importance of a national car lease agreement, but the lesson here is significant. The end use of the document should dictate the method of translation. If the document will be relied upon by the public, a good general rule of thumb is to avoid cutting corners. Make sure the translation is completed by a certified translator, proofread, and then certified.