German Deposition Translation
German deposition translation for US litigation: transcripts of witnesses who testified in German, German exhibits marked during a deposition, and court records from Germany, Austria or Switzerland. We also translate US deposition transcripts into German for counsel or witnesses abroad.
- Up to 250 words per page
- $25 per page
- Standard turnaround
- From 24 hours
- Certificate of accuracy
- Signed & stamped
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Written for German deposition records
Why German testimony needs care
Germany has no deposition in the US sense, and German testimony reaches a US case in several forms.
Depositions taken in Germany
Germany allows a voluntary deposition of a willing witness, usually at the US Consulate General in Frankfurt and with German approval under the Hague Evidence Convention. If the witness spoke German through an interpreter, the court reporter took down only the English. When opposing counsel challenges the interpretation, the recording is the evidence, and we translate the German exactly as spoken.
The German Protokoll is not verbatim
Testimony given in a German court comes as a Sitzungsprotokoll, where the judge dictates a summary of what the witness said, followed by "laut diktiert und genehmigt". It reads in the third person and in reported speech. The translation keeps that form, so no one in a US case mistakes a summary for the witness's own words.
Exhibits and the reverse direction
German exhibits come with Aktenzeichen, Anlage numbers such as Anlage K 3, and dates in day.month.year order. We translate each with its exhibit number. A US transcript going to German counsel keeps the page and line numbers, so both sides can cite the same place.
Who is asking for your German deposition translation?
The translation is the same. What changes is whether the recipient wants anything added to it.
Courts
A deposition filed in a US court needs a complete English translation with a signed certification from the translator. Some judges want it notarized as well, so check the local rules.
Bankruptcy courts
A Rule 2004 examination or a deposition in a bankruptcy case is filed with a certified translation of the testimony and of any foreign-language exhibits.
Courts abroad
Testimony taken in the US for a case in another country usually goes out with an apostille on the reporter's certificate and a translation into that country's language.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a German deposition.
Send the certified transcript, not the rough draft
Court reporters issue a rough draft first and the certified transcript later. Order the translation from the certified copy, with the reporter's certificate page.
Include the exhibits the witness was asked about
A deponent is often questioned on a letter or a contract marked as an exhibit. If those are in another language too, upload them in the same order so the terms are translated the same way.
Expect many pages and tell us the deadline
A transcript can run to a few hundred pages, and the quote counts words, not sheets. Upload the file to see the price before you pay, and put the filing date in the order notes.
Details and pricing
What is included in a German deposition translation
One price per page covers the translation and its certification. A page is up to 250 words, and the quote tells you the page count before you pay.
Everything on the deposition is translated, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes. Tell us the English spelling you use for each name when you order.
Certified Translation
Word-for-word translation with a certificate of accuracy for official use.
$25
USD / page
up to 250 words per page
Included
- Signed & stamped certification of translation accuracy
- Certified by a professional translator
- Digital delivery via PDF
- Review and approve final translation
- 100% Guaranteed Acceptance
- Standard turnaround starting at 24 hours
Optional services
- Expedited turnaround
- Priority handling when your deadline is shorter than the standard turnaround.
- By deadline
- Notarization
- A notary public signs and stamps the certification statement.
- $20 per order
- Physical copy
- A wet-ink original of your translation, mailed by express courier.
- $35 per order
- Apostille
- Authenticates the notary’s signature and seal for use in Hague Convention countries.
- $180 per document
What the certificate of accuracy states
Your translation arrives with a Certification of Translation Accuracy issued by ImmiTranslate. It is the page the receiving organization checks first.
- The translation is complete and accurate.
- The document title and the language pair.
- The translator is competent in both languages.
- A signature and the ImmiTranslate certification stamp.
- Our American Translators Association corporate membership.
Our translation process
Our goal is to make the translation process as simple as possible for you. Our service is streamlined specifically for documents of this nature.
German Deposition FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- Can you check the interpreter against the German audio?
- We can translate the German testimony from the recording into English, and your team can compare it with the interpreted transcript. Send the video or audio with timestamps and the transcript. Tell us the page and line ranges in dispute so we start there.
- How is a deposition transcript priced?
- By page of up to 250 words at $25, counted on the source. A transcript page with 25 short lines often has far fewer than 250 words, so the count is usually lower than the page count of the transcript. We quote from the file before you pay.
- Will a German court accept your translation of a US transcript?
- German courts conduct proceedings in German and can order a translation by a translator sworn in Germany. We are not sworn translators there. Our German translation serves counsel and the witness; check with the German court or lawyer before you file it.
- How much does a certified translation cost?
- Certified translation is $25 per page, with a page counted as up to 250 words. Notarization, a mailed physical copy and an apostille are optional and priced separately.
- How long does a certified translation take?
- Standard turnaround starts at 24 hours and depends on the length and language of your documents. If you have a deadline, include it in your quote request.
Other German documents we translate
Deposition translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's deposition records.
Sending it with an application? Read the Certified translations, Notarized translations before you order.