CERTIFIED TRANSLATING SERVICE
In some cases, you may require certified translations. A certified translation is an official translation provided by a certified or sworn translator accredited by a French court of appeals.
To be official, the translation must include:
– the original or a photocopy of the source document with the translator’s stamp and signature, a registration number and date
– the translation with the translator’s stamp and signature, a registration number and date
In most cases, these are the only translations that government agencies, city halls and courts throughout France and in most countries will accept for legal purposes and that are accepted when travelling abroad.
The types of documents that always must be translated by a certified translator include:
-birth certificates
-marriage certificates
-death certificates
-divorce judgments
-divorce decrees
-employment contracts
This list is not exhaustive and you should check with the authority or organization requesting the translation to confirm their requirements.
When you are sure that you require a certified translation, please feel free to use our new online quote service. It’s easy, fast and free.
Note Regarding the Acceptability of Photocopies: Please note that, in most cases, it is acceptable to attach a photocopy to the certified translation. There are, however, some cases, such as when getting married in a French civil wedding at a city hall, where you will be required to attach the original of your documents (e.g., your birth certificate). It would be impossible for us to know every situation in which an original document is required. Therefore you are responsible for understanding the required type of documentation needed for your particular circumstances. We cannot be held liable for any misunderstanding about requirements concerning original documents or any failure to provide them.
We strongly recommend, whenever you submit an original document to be certified and attached to your official certified translation, that you make photocopies before you turn over your original and that you keep them in your personal records.
We also suggest that you keep photocopies of certified translations issued to you. You never know when they may be useful.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am delighted to recommend Mr. Granville Fields as an interpreter. I had the occasion to work with Mr. Fields in a series of depositions in a matter litigated in an American court that turned pivotally on an interpretation of French contract law, and he impressed me tremendously in every respect in both his French to English and his English to French translations.
To begin with, Mr. Fields has an excellent and beautiful command of both languages, but more unusual, a brilliant and expert grasp of legal terminology and mastery of the subtleties of translating legal terms with precision and clarity. He is able to remember extensive testimony with perfect recall, and to translate it in a complete, meticulous and mellifluous fashion. In addition, he has exquisite professional demeanor and temperament, and is able through his calm, thoughtful, and respectful presence to enhance the dignity and civility of a deposition. 1 am reasonably fluent in French and can tell you that I was often tempted to say “Bravo” after he had translated a particularly difficult concept into accessible and effortless prose. He is far and away the best translator our litigation team dealt with in this matter and was so highly valued and esteemed that both sides agreed to bring him from Paris to New York and Delaware for translation rather than use local personnel.
Mr. Fields also did written translations for us of a series of French judicial decisions, and they again were distinguished by their precision, accuracy and elegance. He is thus highly reliable and expert at both oral and written translation.
For any deposition, trial, arbitration matter, or expert testimony in need of an interpreter, I would recommend Mr. Fields with the greatest possible enthusiasm.
Sincère,
Kathleen M. Sullivan