How should a will or cross-border estate document be translated?
Translate every page including witnesses and seals, and confirm the required format with the estate's lawyer first — each state's probate registry has its own filing rules.
In-depth Answer
Cross-border estates are unforgiving of mistakes because multiple beneficiaries' rights turn on the paperwork.
Documents commonly translated include the will, death certificate, house registration showing status, evidence of heirs' relationships, and any court appointment of an administrator.
Translate genuinely every page, including pages carrying only witness signatures or seals, since registries treat completeness as a filing condition.
Verify that the deceased's and heirs' names are spelled identically across items; where older documents use a different romanisation, have the translator add an explanatory note rather than leaving the court to infer.
Because statutory time limits usually apply, start translating as soon as the source set is complete, and keep a spare set for the financial institutions that will ask later.
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