English-to-French legal translation services for lawyers and law professionals

To provide a legal translation that meets your needs, I usually start with a few questions:

• Why do you need the translation — e.g. to negotiate a deal, sign a contract, or enforce your rights?
• Who is the intended reader — e.g. a prospect or a client, a consumer or a professional, a lawyer or a layperson?
• Who will check the translation before it is used — e.g. a French lawyer or another legal translator?
• Are there any reference materials — e.g. past translations, technical documentation, or other legal documents?
• Do you need a certified translation? (If you do, see “Can I produce certified translations?” below.)

Your answers will inform:

• the type of language I recommend (plain language or traditional legal language) — the choice is always yours;
• the type of comments I add to the translation (e.g. to explain certain choices or suggest alternatives) or to the original document (e.g. to point out any ambiguities or other issues);
• whether a proofreader is needed. (I can call on my network of legal translators to find one.)

I then follow a three-part process: producing a first draft, comparing it to the original document, and reviewing the translation on its own (a few times if possible). I always conduct extensive research as needed.

As a rule, a professional translator only translates into their native language (in my case, French). This helps ensure the quality of their translations.

While I enjoy translating my articles on translation, law, and IT in both directions, I only offer translation services from English into French.

I can however recommend a few trusted colleagues who translate into American or British English. Feel free to ask me for their contact details.

For legal translation, I charge between €0.18 and €0.30 per word (excl. VAT). The exact price will depend on many factors — document type, length, complexity, purpose, deadline, particular requests (e.g. using plain language), proofreading by a second legal translator, etc.

» For further information, see my article on legal translation costs.

Certified translations are usually required for official documents — such as a birth or marriage certificates, driver’s licenses, diplomas, and academic transcripts — meant for authorities and administrations.

In France, certified translations can only be produced by an expert judiciaire en traduction — i.e. a translator who was designated as such by a French court of appeal (which is not my case). To find an expert judiciaire, see the lists prepared by courts of appeal.

Each country sets its own rules. For instance, if you need certified translations for the US, you can contact my colleague Amber Marcum Combaud, an American translator working from French into English.