By Shawn Khorassani, Business Development Director of language services provider Prestige Network
Understanding your client and their needs is a key requirement for interpreting (face-to-face and telephone) and translation services within the legal sector. The law is demanding and is peppered with vocabulary, regulations and procedures that require considerable application and skill to comprehend and explain.
It's a field which demands the highest standards, which means that translators and interpreters working in the legal sector need to understand the importance of what the client does, as well as appreciating their role in a given situation.
Supporting the legal sector with language services takes many forms - from working with litigation attorneys and solicitors at court hearings, patent hearings, and fraud cases, to helping out in personal injury claims and matrimonial arbitration to legal document translating services and court transcripts.
Meryem Skinner, Operations Manager at Berkshire-based Prestige Network (with specific responsibility for the legal division), said: "We have always seen the provision of our services to the legal profession as a very important part of what we do. Different skills are employed in the translation of a legal document to those used in supporting an international arbitration case and we ensure that translators and interpreters are hand picked to suit specific tasks.
"It's important to have access to the right person for each job. Face to face and telephone interpreters may be called upon to speak to people at difficult stages in their life, facing situations that are alien to them, and a sensitive approach can make a world of difference. CRB checks are also important for interpreters."
The legal sector’s need for translators and interpreters frequently occurs at extremely short notice. On one such occasion, Prestige Network was called in to provide last minute translation services for a court hearing when it was discovered that only one interpreter was available for both the prosecution and the defence. The provision of two specialist interpreters to alleviate the conflict allowed the case to go ahead without delay.
It is particularly within the realms of personal injury claims that an increase in demand for the use of language services providers is anticipated.
A report by Datamonitor marketing analysis company towards the end of 2008 showed that the number of personal injury accident claims increased by nearly five per cent in 2007/2008, with motor personal injury claims being the most common type of personal injury claim. The report said that the total personal injury costs are estimated to grow by 4.7 per cent per year to £8.5 billion between 2006/2007 and 2012/2013.
Datamonitor said: "People are becoming more litigious, meaning that more accidents will result in a personal injury claim being filed."
As well as a rise in the number of personal injury claims, the number of employment tribunal applications has increased steadily since 2004/2005, with equal pay disputes being a major factor in the increase.
Salome Wagh, Prestige Network’s Legal Account Manager, said: "We work with over 500 solicitors and it’s a growing market, especially with more and more disputes. We work with a large number of personal injury solicitors and have found that this aspect of our interpreting and translation work has increased over the last year. Our reputation is growing in the legal sector - within large firms, we are often recommended internally, and with smaller companies, word is spreading.
"Another niche market that we get involved in is providing competent and qualified interpreters to solicitors to represent their clients at court proceedings in child-care custody cases and to provide translation of case-related documents. Good interpersonal skills are essential in interpreting services when work involves dealing with young children.
"We deal with requirements from solicitors on a daily basis and we understand the complex nature of court, interpreting and translation of witness statements. It’s important that interpreters understand the case inside out and so we make sure that a single interpreter is assigned to a case where necessary in order to ensure effectiveness and continuity."
Of course, working with scores of courts and tribunals throughout England and Wales is just one aspect of language services within the legal sector. The phrase "Helping the police with their enquiries" takes on a different meaning when language services are involved.
For example, a contract to provide interpreting services to the busy Cheshire Constabulary, often at very short notice, has meant a range of interesting jobs. As part of the contract (which is sub-contracted to Prestige Network by Global Solutions Ltd), bookings need to be fulfilled in less than eight hours - in more than 90 per cent of cases, the company is on location within two hours.
Operations Manager Meryem said: "The bookings for police can be very time-sensitive and very involved. Sometimes we have to book interpreters in very rare languages and at very short notice, and the sense of achievement at having fulfilled these bookings is tremendous."
The range of language services needed within the legal sector is extensive. Language services in action include:
It is the hugely valuable contribution which can be made by language services in today’s society which led businessman Shawn Khorassani to start Prestige Network with his sister Shohreh 18 years ago.
He said: "Ultimately, social cohesion is what Britain today is striving for. It's important to remember that specialist language services work in a positive way to meet the requirements of today’s multicultural society - translation and interpreting are valuable tools in helping social cohesion to take place.
"Legal work is immensely rewarding. We’ve been involved in many interesting projects, such as a complex, 13 language multilingual website to communicate the role of the London Criminal Justice Board to the community; an exclusive service for face to face and British Sign Language interpreting for 69 Identity and Passport Service offices across the UK; and a ground-breaking, multi-lingual 'Don't Drink and Drive' campaign poster made available to at least 15 police forces throughout the UK, to use free with their own logo.
"One thing's certain: language services for the legal sector is never dull."
This Article was featured in the Norfolk Law Society Journal, Spring 2009 edition and is available on the www.insitelawmagazine.com website .
If Prestige Network can help you in any way please don't hesitate to contact our professional and friendly staff on 01635 292 789 or email sales@prestigenetwork.com