Legally watertight translations

Professional indemnity insurance

Translating legal texts is a tricky business. Every phrase that deviates from the original text can result not only in inconvenient misunderstandings but also in a concrete loss of time and money. For that reason it is sensible to leave this task to a professional who will provide a translation to required quality.
I have never made a serious translation error that could lead to a financial damage. I am (and you are as my client!) well-prepared for an unlikely worst-case scenario thanks to professional indemnity insurance against any personal, material and financial damages or losses caused by my translation work. My professional indemnity insurance by Boss Assekuranz is customised to the challenges of the translator's profession and provides coverage of up to EUR 5 million. You will find more information on this insurance (in German) here.

Guaranteed data protection

In contrast to some translation agencies, who do not employ any in-house translators, but instead outsource all assignments to external translators (often based abroad), I am responsible for and conduct all work myself. As a court-appointed translator I am bound by the German Confidentiality Act [Verpflichtungsgesetz]. This act's regulations include criminal offences such as destruction of materials under official safekeeping, breach of confidentiality of written and spoken contents, breach of private secrets, exploitation of somebody else's secrets or violation of tax secrets. I take the commitment to data confidentiality very seriously, by ensuring all possible precautions are heeded. You will find more information regarding this topic in the article Data protection policy.

Professional approach

Freelance translating and interpreting is my sole occupation which means that I can process your order at short notice. I take each project seriously and only use a term in my translation when I am sure that it is 100% correct. Investing sufficient time and, consequently, making sure that the translation is entirely accurate, means that hiring me will save you valuable time and money.
There are many good arguments why it is recommendable to use the services of an individual translator rather than to resort to translation agencies or - heaven forbid! - translation tools such as Google Translate. Neither of them will provide you sufficient legal certainty and quality.

Competencies and specialities

I have a particularly strong knowledge of the following branches of law: contract law, penal and police law, family law, aliens' law, inheritance law, trademark law, labour law, social insurance law, terms & conditions.

My qualifications in a nutshell

• State-certified as a translator in English, German and Polish
• Sworn-in by the German courts of law Landgericht Frankfurt am Main and Oberlandesgericht Koblenz
• Member of the renowned Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators BDÜ
• Master's studies in philosophy, German literature, and English cultural studies at Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main and Cardiff University (main disciplines: philosophy of law, translation, literary studies)
• Graduate of the German-Polish grammar school in Löcknitz with German and Polish A-levels
• 15 years of experience in translating and interpreting
• Full-time freelancer = flexible and always there for you
• Last but not least = 5 semesters of legal studies (Bachelor of Laws) at FernUniversität Hagen (2011-2014)

Credentials and translation samples

On my website, you can read numerous reference letters from my clients and verify them if necessary. You can also check my qualification as a court-appointed translator in the official database of translators at www.justiz-dolmetscher.de.

Furthermore, in the PDF files below, you will find translation samples taken from my projects allowing you to get an insight into my working style. All texts are anonymous for data protection reasons. I explained some particularly tricky parts by adding a comment, so that you can better understand what kind of expert knowledge and precision is required to provide a good and faithful legal translation.

Work samples legal translation German-English
Work samples legal translation German-Polish
Work samples legal translation English-Polish

Remuneration

In contrast to many translation agencies that offer incomprehensible and arbitrary 'fixed rate' prices, the fees for my services are based on the German Law on the Remuneration of Interpreters and Translators (JVEG). This calculation method is especially fair for you as a customer because every time you pay for the exact amount of text in your document.

Accordingly, the rate for translating every 55 characters (=one line of text) amounts to net €1.80 ('basic fee'). In case of documents that are not electronic and editable texts, the fee rises to net €1.95 for every 55 characters of a source text ('increased fee'). In case of particularly difficult translation due to a high number of specialist terms, poor legibility, or very high urgency, the 'basic fee' amounts to net €1.95 and the 'increased fee' to net €2.10.

You will find more information regarding the calculation of prices here.

Did you know that when it comes to civil proceedings it is often possible to demand the payment of translation costs pursuant to JVEG from the adverse party? For more details click here.