A judgment takes effect across borders only if it is understood where it has to be presented: at the court deciding on enforcement, at the office registering the divorce, with the opposing party abroad. UniTranslate translates divorce decrees, civil judgments and criminal judgments into more than 100 languages – certified, terminologically exact and with the understanding that every word here can have legal consequences.
Recognition and enforcement: when the judgment crosses the border
Anyone who wants a foreign judgment enforced in Switzerland – or a Swiss judgment abroad – submits it together with a translation. For lawyers, we translate civil and commercial judgments, rulings and orders together with certificates of legal effect so that party designations, prayers for relief and the operative part are rendered unassailably. For private individuals, it is often about the most personal matters: the foreign divorce decree is to be entered in the Swiss civil status register so that a new marriage or a change of name becomes possible – for this too, we deliver the certified version that is usually required. We also translate criminal judgments, for instance for appeal proceedings, rehabilitation or visa matters, as well as family-law decisions on custody, maintenance and adoption – in more than 100 languages and in both directions, from the foreign language into German and vice versa.
Operative part, considerations, instructions on appeal: precision in every line
A judgment is strictly structured, and each level has its own function: the caption names the parties, the considerations give the reasoning, the operative part orders. Our legally trained translators preserve this structure and transfer the technical terms of the source legal system functionally into the target language – where a term has no direct equivalent, it is flagged rather than distorted. A second legally trained person then checks case numbers, dates, amounts and party names against the original, because it is precisely on such details that submissions otherwise fail.
Certified or with apostille: the form your proceedings need
Depending on the receiving authority, a certified translation is sufficient; in other cases a notarised translation or an apostille is wanted for use abroad; frequently the certificate of legal effect and the apostille on the original must be translated as well. The final, binding decision on form, type of certification and recognition always rests with the official receiving authority – we advise you on this free of charge and deliver all components from a single source.
How to submit your judgment for translation
- Send a scan: A complete, clearly legible scan is enough – we do not need the original judgment. Tell us the purpose and the receiving authority, so that we can propose the appropriate form of certification.
- Quote within 30 minutes: During office hours you receive a quote with a binding delivery date; when deadlines are running, we deliver express within 12–24 hours.
- Translation with legal revision: Translation by legally specialised native speakers, followed by a check of terminology, figures and names by a second specialist.
- Delivery in the appropriate form: Certified by post, by registered mail or as a PDF with a qualified electronic signature (QES) – on request both, so that you can submit digitally and follow up with the paper version.
Case files demand discretion
Judgments contain what no one else is supposed to know: financial circumstances, family conflicts, criminal allegations. With us, your documents are transmitted in encrypted form, viewed exclusively by the assigned team and never used for other purposes; on request, we sign an additional non-disclosure agreement. More than 6000 satisfied customers – law firms as well as private individuals – rely on this way of working. You are looked after personally from our office in Küsnacht ZH, from the first question about the form of certification through to delivery.
Send us your judgment confidentially as a scan – you will receive a quote with a binding delivery date within 30 minutes: Request a free quote →
FAQ
Does the whole judgment have to be translated, or is the operative part enough?＋
That depends on the proceedings: some offices are content with the operative part together with the certificate of legal effect, others require the complete judgment with its reasoning. The final, binding decision rests with the official receiving authority – clarify the scope there, and we will translate exactly the parts you need.
Do I need a certified translation for the recognition of my foreign divorce decree?＋
For entry in the Swiss civil status register, a certified translation is usually required, frequently together with the certificate of legal effect and an apostille. The exact requirements are set by the competent authority – we advise you on this free of charge and deliver the appropriate form.
Do you also translate the certificate of legal effect and the apostille?＋
Yes. Certificates of legal effect, apostilles, stamps and annotations are part of the document and are translated in full, so that the receiving authority can review the entire dossier.
How quickly can a judgment be translated?＋
During office hours you receive a quote with a binding delivery date within 30 minutes. When deadlines are running, we deliver express within 12 to 24 hours – tell us your deadline and we will confirm in advance whether it can be met.
Do you need the original judgment?＋
No, a complete and clearly legible scan is sufficient. You receive the certified translation by post, by registered mail or as a PDF with a qualified electronic signature (QES), depending on what the receiving authority accepts.
