Legal translation services for contracts, courts and compliance
Qualified legal translators for contracts, court filings, NDAs and regulatory documents in 25+ languages.
Legal translation services convert contracts, court filings and regulatory documents from one language to another while preserving their exact legal meaning. Unlike general translation, it requires translators trained in both legal systems involved. Orion Translations has provided legal translation in over 25 languages from Barcelona since 2009.
Why legal translation is a specialist discipline
Legal translation requires more than linguistic fluency. It requires understanding of legal systems, terminology, and the consequences of imprecision. A mistranslated clause in a contract or a poorly rendered legal opinion can expose clients to liability, delay proceedings, or invalidate filings.
Orion Translations works with law firms, corporate legal departments, in-house counsel and compliance teams across Spain, the UK and internationally. Every legal document is translated by a linguist with legal specialisation and reviewed by a second legal linguist before delivery. All projects are handled under strict confidentiality, with NDAs signed on request.
When do you need a legal translation?
You need a legal translation whenever a legal document must be understood, negotiated or enforced in another language. The most common situations are cross-border contracts, international litigation, M&A due diligence, regulatory filings and corporate governance across subsidiaries. Typical documents include:
- Commercial contracts: supply, distribution, licensing, franchise and joint venture agreements
- Employment contracts, collective agreements, non-compete clauses and termination documents
- NDAs and confidentiality agreements for M&A due diligence and vendor relationships
- Litigation documents: pleadings, witness statements, expert reports and court orders
- Corporate documents: board resolutions, articles of incorporation, shareholder agreements, powers of attorney
- Compliance material: regulatory filings, GDPR documentation, anti-money laundering policies
Legal, sworn or certified: which translation do you need?
The right format depends on who will receive the document. This is the distinction that matters before you request a quote:
| Legal translation | Sworn translation | Certified translation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Specialist translation of legal content, no official seal | Translation signed and sealed by a MAEC-accredited sworn translator | Translation with a signed accuracy statement from the translator or agency |
| When you need it | Negotiation, internal review, due diligence, litigation support | Spanish courts, notaries, registries, extranjería, universities | USCIS and other foreign authorities that accept certification statements |
| Who does it | Translator with legal specialisation | Sworn translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Professional translator or agency issuing the statement |
If your document must be filed before Spanish authorities, you need our sworn translation services. For US immigration filings, see our USCIS certified translations.
How much does legal translation cost?
Legal translation is priced per word in most cases, and professional market rates in Spain generally fall between 0.10 and 0.20 euros per word depending on the language pair, the technicality of the text and the deadline. Short official documents are usually priced per document. Orion Translations quotes a fixed price and a confirmed delivery date within one business day: send your documents to info@oriontranslations.com or call +34 932 204 590.
How long does a legal translation take?
A standard commercial contract of 3,000 to 5,000 words is typically delivered in 2-3 business days. Larger litigation bundles are scheduled with interim deliveries so your legal team can start working before the full set is complete. Court deadlines are treated as fixed: Orion Translations confirms a firm delivery date at the quote stage and builds in time for your counsel's review before filing, never after it.
How Orion Translations handles legal projects
Every project follows four stages. Assessment: we review your documents, confirm the legal context and jurisdiction, and assign a translator with the relevant legal specialisation. Translation: the assigned linguist translates with attention to jurisdictional differences in terminology between the source and target legal systems. Review: a second legal linguist checks accuracy, consistency and terminological precision. Delivery: in your required format, with a terminology glossary available for ongoing engagements.
Confidentiality is built into the workflow. Files are stored securely, access is limited to the assigned project team, and documents are deleted after delivery on request.
Legal documents where every word carries consequences deserve specialist translators.
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Upload your document and tell us what you need. We respond within one business day with a fixed price and delivery date. No hidden costs. No obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- A legal translation is an accurate professional translation of legal content such as contracts, pleadings or compliance materials, used for negotiation, internal review or litigation support. A sworn translation is a certified translation signed and sealed by a translator accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC), and it is the only format accepted by Spanish courts, notaries and public administration. If your document must be filed with a Spanish authority, you need the sworn format.
- Not always. A legal translation for internal use, due diligence or cross-border negotiation does not need certification. Certification becomes mandatory when the document is submitted to an official body: Spanish authorities require a sworn translation, US authorities such as USCIS require a signed certification statement, and other jurisdictions have their own rules. Orion Translations confirms the correct format for your destination country at the quote stage.
- Professional legal translation in Spain is typically priced per word, with market rates generally between 0.10 and 0.20 euros per word depending on language pair, technicality and urgency. Short official documents are often priced per document instead. Orion Translations provides a fixed price and a confirmed delivery date within one business day, with no hidden costs.
- A standard contract of 3,000 to 5,000 words is usually delivered in 2-3 business days. Longer litigation bundles and multi-document projects take proportionally longer, and expedited delivery is available for urgent filings. Orion Translations confirms a firm delivery date at the quote stage, not an estimate.
- It is not advisable. Legal language is system-bound: terms like consideration, estoppel or diligencia have no exact equivalent across legal systems, and a linguistically correct but legally imprecise rendering can change the meaning of a clause. Orion Translations assigns legal documents only to translators with legal specialisation in both the source and target legal systems.
- Any document in a foreign language submitted in Spanish judicial proceedings must be accompanied by a translation into Spanish. In practice this covers foreign contracts, powers of attorney, corporate records, judgments, witness statements and expert reports. For court submission the translation must be sworn, carried out by a MAEC-accredited translator whose seal gives it legal validity.