Not every question that reaches a translation firm asks for a translation. A lawyer wants to know what a term in a foreign contract means and whether the Italian rendering chosen by the other side is correct. A company has received a translation from a supplier and wants a second reading before signing it. A citizen has his name spelt in three different ways on three documents and must know which form to use before the registry office. A school needs to know in which language and in which variety to write to parents. Language consultancy is the written and reasoned answer to questions of this kind, given by people who have worked for thirty years on judicial and notarial documents, certificates and company papers.
Review and verification of translations made by others
It is the most frequent request. The client already has a translation, made abroad, by an in-house colleague, by another agency or by a machine, and must decide whether to use it. The firm compares it with the original line by line and returns the text with the corrections highlighted and a note that separates errors of meaning, which change the scope of the document, from terminological inaccuracies and debatable stylistic choices. For documents intended for a public authority the review also checks what the offices look at first: completeness, the rendering of stamps, signatures and marginal notes, the correspondence of names and dates, consistency with the documents already filed. A translation reviewed by the firm can be sworn by the reviewer, who takes responsibility for it, or returned to the client with the review report.
The verification of a sworn translation produced by an opposing party is a distinct service, requested by law firms and by corporate legal departments. The report identifies the passages in which the translation departs from the original, proposes the correct rendering and explains the difference in terms understandable to someone who does not know the language, so that counsel can decide whether to contest the document and how.
Terminology opinions and reports
Many foreign legal, administrative and academic terms have no exact Italian equivalent, and the choice of rendering has consequences. A qualification translated with the name of an Italian qualification that does not correspond to it is rejected by the university or the ministry. A foreign legal concept rendered with an Italian term that denotes a different concept may create an obligation the parties did not intend. The terminology opinion explains what the term denotes in the system of origin, which renderings are possible in Italian, which one should be adopted for the client’s purpose and why. The firm issues it as a signed report, usable in an administrative file, in a negotiation or in proceedings, and accompanies it, on request, with references to the sources consulted.
Names, transliterations and inconsistent documents
People from countries that use the Cyrillic, Arabic, Greek, Armenian or Georgian alphabets, or a language with a non-alphabetic script, often find their name spelt differently on the passport, the birth certificate, the degree and the Italian documents already issued. Registry offices, police headquarters and universities require the forms to match. The firm establishes the correct transliteration under the applicable standard and the practice of the receiving office, documents the correspondence between the variants with a sworn statement and tells the client how to have the inconsistent documents corrected. The same service covers dates under different calendars, patronymics, double surnames and names changed by marriage or by order of an authority.
Which translation is needed and to whom it must be presented
Before translating a document it is worth knowing what the receiving office will do with it. The preliminary consultation establishes whether a sworn translation or a certified translation is needed, whether the original document must first be apostilled or legalised, whether a Dichiarazione di valore or a statement of comparability is required, in which order to take the steps and what each one costs. For the recognition of qualifications the consultation is described on the page on consultation and case handling. For companies the firm assesses the documentation to be filed with tenders, registers and foreign authorities and indicates, country by country, the form of translation and legalisation accepted.
Consultations take place at the office by appointment, by video call or in writing. Brief questions about one’s own files in progress are answered by telephone or on WhatsApp free of charge. For written opinions, reviews and reports the firm first sends a quote, calculated on the estimated time, and delivers the work with a signed report. Contact details and opening hours are on the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Can you swear a translation that I made myself or received from another agency?
Only after reviewing it in full against the original, because whoever swears answers for the text. If the translation is good, the cost of the review is lower than that of a new translation. If the errors are many, it is better to retranslate, and the firm says so before starting.
Is a machine translation reviewed by you worth as much as a professional translation?
It depends on the text. For repetitive and unofficial documents the review of a machine draft is a sound and cheaper service. For judicial and notarial documents, certificates, qualifications and contracts the firm translates from scratch: reviewing a machine draft takes the same time in these cases and carries a higher risk of errors slipping through.
My surname is spelt differently on my passport and my degree: which form will you use?
In the translation, the form in the passport, which is the identity document recognised in Italy, with a translator’s note that records the variant in the original and attests the correspondence. If the receiving office requires a separate sworn statement on the identity of the two forms, the firm prepares it.
Can the report on an opposing party’s translation be filed in proceedings?
Yes, as a party’s document. It is signed by a translator entered in the register of court experts, states the method followed and the contested passages with the proposed correct rendering. The judge remains free to appoint a court expert to settle the dispute.
Do you also advise translators and other agencies?
Yes, on terminological questions of Italian and foreign law, on the rules of the courts on the oath and on the practice of the offices for legalisations and recognitions. We do not collect applications or CVs: the firm’s network of collaborators is complete.
Do you have a question about a document or a translation?
Send us the text and tell us what you need to decide: we tell you within one working day whether a brief answer is enough or a written opinion is needed, and in that case what it costs.
