When it comes to translation, there are several different paths that you can take. And with Artificial Intelligence now making it’s statement in the world, many people are questioning whether machine translation is an option. First off, yes machine translation works, and yes it has it’s place in the world. With that being said, it is not meant for the legal field. Today we’ll talk more about machine translation and what it is,  why it should not be used for legal documents, and why legal translation services are the only option for legal professions.

What is machine translation?

As you have probably already guessed, machine translation is the translation of words as carried out by a computer. You may hear some people refer to it as “automated translation”. The most popular automated translation system, that you have probably heard tell of before, is Google Translate. Not sure how a word translates into your own language? Simply pop it into Google translate and there’s your answer. Yes, tools such as these are great to have, and they are usually decently accurate in translating words. The problem is that they are not good at converting words into forms of communication. Sentences can often come out jumbled, and grammar isn’t always translated properly. But before we jump into the negative about machine translation, we must first say that it’s not all bad. There are actually several benefits that come along with using machine translations.

Firstly, it’s faster than human translation. Whether it’s legal translation services, financial translation services, scientific translation services, or any other type of translation service that you need, machine translation is always faster. Why? Simply because computers work faster than we can. It’s simply not possible to beat a computer in a race. When you’re in a rush, machine generated translation can produce results twice as quickly as a human translator can. Not only that, but they can do so at a fraction of the cost. Regardless of which machine translation service you use, it will rarely cost more than human translation.

So why isn’t machine translation an option?

The problem with machine translation is that you are sacrificing quality and accuracy for speed and cost savings. As we said before, computers are a great way to translate words, but sometimes they have a difficult time putting together a grammatically correct sentence. In the legal field, where accuracy and professionalism are demanded, this is simply not an option. Machine translation is great when you just need an approximate translation, but in a field where documents need to be precise, human translators are the only ones who can offer such accuracy.

What are the benefits of legal translation services?

• Legal translation services only hire professional, trained translators who have extensive knowledge in the field of law.
• Translation services can ensure professionalism, accuracy, and quality
• Legal translators are bound to strict confidentiality standards
• Legal translators have been trained to provide consistency, and to provide culturally correct translations

What types of legal documents can be translated?

• International Arbitrations
• Contracts
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Financial Audits
• Immigration documents
• Insurance claims
• Patents and trademark documents
• Wills and Estates
• Any other type of legal document

So to revert back to our original question, “Can I use machine translation for legal services?”, the answer is both yes and no. If you need to translate a sentence or two for personal knowledge, than of course you can. But when it comes to transcribing legal documents, computers and machines simply can’t step up to the plate. For legal translation, legal translation services are the only route to take. Such services can provide you with reliable, accurate, and culturally correct documents that are completely edited and ready to place into your hands.