ENGLISH SPEAKER’S GUIDE
Plain-English guides for businesses and individuals working with Spanish and Portuguese documents.
When do you need a certified translation? What makes a contract translation reliable? Why does marketing need more than a literal rendering? This is a plain-English guide to getting Spanish and Portuguese documents translated properly.
— Written by a translator with 12 years' experience, not a marketing department.
Translating Court and Litigation Documents from Spanish or Portuguese: What You Need to Know
When a legal dispute crosses borders, the documents at its heart often have to cross a language barrier too. A claim filed in a Spanish court, a judgment handed down in Brazil, a witness statement taken in Portugal — any of these may need to be presented, relied upon,...
Translating Property Deeds from Spanish or Portuguese: What You Need to Know
A property deed is the document that proves who owns a property and on what terms — so when a deed drawn up in Spanish or Portuguese needs to be used in the UK, the translation has to be exact. Whether you are buying, selling, inheriting, or registering a property,...
Translating a Power of Attorney from Spanish or Portuguese: What You Need to Know
A power of attorney is one of the most consequential documents a person can sign — it lets someone act legally on another's behalf, over property, finances, or personal affairs. So when a power of attorney drawn up in Spanish or Portuguese needs to be used in the UK,...
Translating a Spanish or Portuguese Will into English: What You Need to Know
When someone dies leaving a will written in Spanish or Portuguese, the people left to deal with it often face an unwelcome surprise: before a UK court, bank, or solicitor will act on it, the document usually has to be translated into English — and not just any...
What to Look For When Getting Academic Work Translated
If you are preparing research, a thesis, or a journal submission that began life in Spanish or Portuguese, getting it into English is rarely a simple matter of swapping words. Academic translation is its own discipline, and choosing the wrong translator can weaken...
Why a Word-for-Word Translation Will Let Your Marketing Down
Getting marketing translation right means accepting that the moment your message has to persuade, charm, or sell, a faithful word-for-word version becomes a liability. You can translate a contract literally and still be safe. You cannot do the same with marketing. The...
Translating Business Documents from Spanish or Portuguese: What English-Speaking Companies Need to Know
If your company works with partners, subsidiaries, suppliers, or regulators in the Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking world, sooner or later you will need their documents in English — or yours in their language. Annual reports, board minutes, internal policies, audit...
Getting a Spanish or Portuguese Contract Translated to English? What to Check Before You Rely On It
If you are about to sign, enforce, or rely on a contract that began life in Spanish or Portuguese, the translation in front of you is doing more work than you might think. A single misread clause can shift liability, change a deadline, or quietly hand the other party...
Translation, Certified Translation, Notarisation, Apostille: What’s the Difference and Which Do You Need?
If you've ever tried to get a Spanish or Portuguese document accepted by a UK authority, a court, or an overseas institution, you've probably come across these four terms and wondered what on earth the difference is. You're not alone — these terms are widely confused,...
Do I Need a Certified Translation for My Spanish or Portuguese Document?
If you've received a Spanish or Portuguese document and need to submit it to a UK authority, a court, a bank, or a government body, you've probably asked yourself this question. The short answer is: it depends on who is asking for it and why. But don't worry — this...
