This post looks at the main public registers (registros) in Spain. It outlines what they are for and lists common translations and similar entities in English-speaking countries. Whether each registro is more a list or a place (or both) is also covered. This key distinction (described in this post) can affect the translation or at ..read more

What is a registro? A registro, as in the Registro Civil, is an official place or list for recording information or events. The one registro can even be both a list and a place. For instance, the Registro Mercantil and the Registro de la Propiedad can each be three things: a list (i.e. a set ..read more

Translating the legislation or regulations of a country, company or university into English requires certain skills and know-how. This post lists five things your translator should know when translating legislation into English. 1. How to apply English drafting conventions Conventions on headings, numbering, referencing and capitalisation differ from one legal language to another. For instance ..read more

Many dilemmas of style arise when translating legislation into English. This post looks at the most common ones and solutions to them. By legislation I mean any laws or rules set down by a governing body, be that of a country, company or university. So everything from a criminal code to a health and safety ..read more

How should you translate into English the terms de una parte and de otra parte that you find at the start of Spanish contracts?   What’s the job of de una parte and de otra parte in a Spanish contract? If you’ve read a couple of Spanish contracts, this seems obvious. But there is a ..read more

“Deed” is sometimes used as a translation for escritura pública. Is it a good translation? What is a deed? A deed is a formal legal document. In England and Wales, transfers of land, mortgages, powers of attorney, some business agreements and wills must be executed as deeds. In the US, deeds are only required for ..read more

This post looks at how to translate the names of the two* main types of public-form Spanish notarial acts, escrituras públicas and actas notariales. It also identifies handy language to use in translations of them. Escritura pública An escritura pública records an act executed before a notary. How you translate the name of an escritura ..read more

A public-form notarial act is a document drafted by a notary that contains the entire notarial act. It is narrated from the notary’s perspective and includes all the details and circumstances of the act. All Spanish notarial acts are in public form (documents elevados a público). In England and Wales, notarial acts are usually in ..read more

In Spain and other civil law countries, you seem to need a notary for anything of gravity. You buy a house, you need a notary. You inherit some money, you need a notary. You start a company, you need a notary. The list goes on. What do notaries do in common law countries? So little ..read more

This is the last part of a series on training for legal translators. See the first post here. To put yourself on the path to becoming a good legal translator, you need to make one big study commitment. A big study commitment is anything that takes at least a year, challenges you, and costs a lot of ..read more