Legal interpreting services for courts, hearings and depositions
Professional legal interpreters for court hearings, police interviews, notarial acts and depositions in Spain and internationally.
Legal interpreting services provide professional interpreters for court hearings, police interviews, depositions and notarial acts. In Spain, official proceedings require a sworn interpreter authorised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). Orion Translations provides legal and sworn interpreters in Barcelona and throughout Spain, on site and remotely.
Interpreting where every word has legal weight
In a courtroom, a police interview or a notarial signing, the interpreter is not a convenience but a legal safeguard: proceedings can be invalidated if a party did not understand them. Legal interpreting demands procedural terminology in both legal systems, absolute impartiality, and confidentiality that matches the lawyers' own obligations.
Orion Translations has provided legal interpreters to law firms, courts, notaries and corporate legal departments since 2009. Every interpreter we assign is specialised in legal settings, and where Spanish law requires it, holds the official sworn appointment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
When do you need a legal interpreter?
| Setting | Interpreting mode | Sworn status |
|---|---|---|
| Court hearings and trials | Consecutive or whispered | Required in Spain |
| Notarial acts: deeds, powers of attorney, property sales | Bilateral consecutive | Required in Spain |
| Civil marriages and Civil Registry procedures | Bilateral consecutive | Required in Spain |
| Police interviews and statements | Consecutive | Usually required |
| Depositions and examinations under oath | Consecutive, verbatim protocol | Per jurisdiction |
| Arbitration, mediation and lawyer-client meetings | Consecutive or simultaneous | Not required |
How much does legal interpreting cost?
Legal interpreting is billed per hour or per half-day depending on the assignment. The rate reflects the language pair, sworn status when required, and travel where the proceeding is outside Barcelona. Orion Translations confirms a fixed price and a named, available interpreter within one business day: call +34 932 204 590 or write to info@oriontranslations.com with the date, location and languages.
How do you book a legal interpreter?
Send the essentials: proceeding type, date and time, location or video platform, language pair, and any case material the interpreter may review under confidentiality. Orion Translations assigns an interpreter with the right specialisation and sworn status, confirms the booking in writing, and briefs the interpreter on terminology before the day. For recurring litigation, the same interpreter can be reserved across sessions for consistency.
Which languages do you cover?
Orion Translations covers over 25 languages for legal interpreting, with English-Spanish, French-Spanish, German-Spanish, Dutch-Spanish, Italian-Spanish, Arabic-Spanish and Chinese-Spanish among the most requested in Spanish proceedings. For rare language pairs or urgent police and court requirements, remote interpreting secures a qualified professional at short notice.
Related interpreting services
When proceedings depend on understanding, the interpreter is not optional.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- A legal interpreter converts spoken communication in legal settings, such as court hearings, depositions, police interviews and notarial signings, accurately and impartially between languages. Unlike a general interpreter, a legal interpreter must command procedural terminology in both legal systems and follow strict rules of neutrality and confidentiality.
- Spanish courts, tribunals and notaries require a sworn interpreter, authorised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC), whenever a party, witness or signatory does not speak Spanish. Typical cases are oral hearings, the signing of deeds before a notary, civil marriages and Civil Registry procedures. The sworn interpreter attests officially to the accuracy of what was interpreted.
- A legal interpreter is a professional specialised in legal settings; a sworn interpreter additionally holds an official appointment from Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which gives their interpreting legal validity before courts and notaries. For private meetings between lawyers, a legal interpreter is sufficient; for official proceedings in Spain, the interpreter must be sworn.
- Legal interpreting is priced per hour or per half-day, and the rate depends on the language pair, the setting (a notarial signing is shorter than a full trial) and whether sworn status is required. Orion Translations confirms a fixed price and the interpreter's availability within one business day of receiving the date, location and language pair.
- Yes. Orion Translations provides consecutive and simultaneous interpreters for depositions, examinations under oath, international arbitration and mediation, working on site in Spain or remotely by video link. For US-related proceedings, our interpreters are experienced with deposition protocol, including verbatim rendering and interpreter oaths.
- Often, yes. Police interviews, lawyer-client meetings and some court procedures accept remote interpreting by video or phone, which saves travel costs and secures rare language pairs quickly. Where the proceeding requires physical presence, such as most notarial acts, Orion Translations sends the interpreter on site in Barcelona and throughout Spain.