Overview

As all legal practitioners are keenly aware, communicating effectively with clients is paramount to good legal practice! Therefore, being aware of your client’s communication needs and how you can respond to these is a prerequisite for a productive lawyer-client relationship. This can be a particular challenge in international and immigration law practice, where lawyers may encounter different languages and different cultural perspectives on communication. 

1 👌Accuracy & Precision

a) When giving information, keep short sentences. Pause regularly allowing the interpreter to speak. They will not summarise, paraphrase, edit or simplify the statements.
b) Use simple terms and non-complex grammar where possible.
c) Legal Interpreters will interpret without additions or omissions. Every word translated.

2 🔥Conflict of Interest

a) Legal Interpreters are neutral, unbiased & set boundaries.
b) They will disclose if the client is known personally.
c) No socialising or converse outside the meeting.

3 💼 Legal Interpreting Duties

Be aware of the interpreter’s scope of duties!
a) A legal interpreter will always ONLY offer oral translation.
b) DO NOT ask interpreters to explain/translate forms, procedures or to escort clients.
c) DO NOT question interpreters about statements made by the client.
d) Interpreters will advise clients and counsel at the start of a session, describing the limits of their duties.

4 🌟Maintaining Quality Standards

a) Legal Interpreters are obliged ethically and professionally to ensure the accuracy of their service.
b) The interpreter may ask to slow your speech.
c) Direct questions to the client by looking at them and not the interpreter.
d) Rephrases may be asked if an equivalent word is not available in the non-English language.

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