Contracts and agreements
Contracts, terms and conditions, share and asset purchase agreements, and other contractual material – with definitions, defined terms and cross-references that remain consistent in German.
Legal & contracts · English–German
Both language versions must carry the same legal meaning.
Divergence starts small: an omitted qualifier, a shifted modal verb, a term defined in one place and paraphrased in another. Those are the passages I look for before anyone has to interpret them.
I began translating legal texts in 2011, in employment, criminal, contract, EU and commercial law. I handle English–German legal work myself, apply your approved terminology and raise ambiguities with you before the wording in question recurs elsewhere in the document.
Formulaic wording
Two words can change the reach of a clause
Legal English uses formulaic wording that has no direct counterpart in German. Smoothing it out can change the reach or the binding force of a clause – and that goes unnoticed for as long as both sides remain in agreement.
The examples on this page were created solely for illustration. None contains client material or reproduces the unedited output of a particular translation system.
English source text
Confidential Information includes, without limitation, customer lists and pricing.
Error type: qualifier omitted
„Zu den vertraulichen Informationen gehören Kundenlisten und Informationen zur Preisgestaltung.“
Without the qualifier the list reads as exhaustive – an interpretive risk
Reviewed translation
„Zu den Vertraulichen Informationen gehören unter anderem Kundenlisten und Informationen zur Preisgestaltung.“
The list stays expressly non-exhaustive, and the defined term is markedThe same applies to modal verbs, defined terms and cross-references. English contracts often use an initial capital to mark a defined term. In German every noun is capitalised, so that signal does not carry. Status is secured by the definition and by using the term identically throughout. Any additional marking, as in the example above, is agreed for the project and then applied without exception.
Definitions, cross-references and recurring clauses cannot be checked reliably sentence by sentence. I check them in the context of the whole document as well and, where an agreement spans several documents, across those documents.
The standards-related requirements and steps I cover are explained on the home page under Two standards, a clearly defined scope.
Document types
Main areas of legal work
Data protection documents
Privacy notices and other data protection documents. Recurring wording has to stay consistent, because a variation may be read as deliberate.
Employment, EU and commercial law
Fields where I started in 2011 and still work today.
Review path
From defined terms to the final read-through
- Record defined terms and your approved terminology.
- Cross-check internal references, numbering and recurring designations.
- Flag ambiguities and settle them with you before finalising the translation.
- Document and incorporate your approvals.
- Perform a final review of the complete document in one pass.
I review a translation you already have against the same criteria. We agree the applicable criteria and query process before work begins.
Scope of my work
Your legal team decides on validity
I translate and review legal language; I do not advise on the legal position. Your legal team determines whether a clause is valid, enforceable or appropriate; my part is a linguistically accurate and internally consistent German version for them to work from. I do not guarantee legal validity, enforceability or any particular outcome.
Collaboration
Direct access to your translator
You communicate directly with the person who handles your document and answers your queries. The quotation, scope, delivery date, terminology and review process are agreed before work starts.
Confidentiality requirements, any non-disclosure agreement and any permitted use of AI are agreed expressly before work begins. On request I handle your project without AI. We agree the route for confidential files separately.
Further information on the review process and confidentiality is available under Enterprise & Quality.
For legal teams and procurement
Document types, certification and terminology
Which legal documents are within scope?
Contracts, terms and conditions, data protection documents, and texts relating to employment, EU and commercial law. I have translated legal texts since 2011 and handle them personally. If something falls outside what I can responsibly undertake, I decline it and explain why.
Are certified translations for courts and public authorities available?
No. I do not offer certified translations for courts or public authorities. The required form of certification and professional status depend on the receiving body and the applicable law. If your document needs a certified version, I will tell you before quoting.
How is an existing German version reviewed?
I review an existing translation using the same five steps as my own work: recording defined terms and your approved terminology, cross-checking internal references, numbering and recurring designations, and flagging ambiguities to settle with you. Your approvals are documented and applied throughout, and I then review the complete document in one pass. We agree the review criteria and the query process before the project begins.
Can approved terminology and earlier contracts be used as reference material?
Yes. Your approved terminology is binding on me. I use your reference contracts and translation memories, but I check them against the source and the context of the document in hand – a translation memory stores earlier decisions and can carry earlier errors. Where I find a conflict, I raise a query and record the decision for subsequent documents.
Terms, data protection, employment law
Send me the contract you have in hand
Document type, intended use, volume, file format, deadline and any existing terminology are enough to start. Send confidential files only once the transfer route is agreed.