Court and arbitration translation for law firms covers the pleadings, evidence bundles, witness statements, expert reports and awards that must be filed in Arabic or English, usually against a deadline. Wordcraft gives law firms and in-house legal teams in Dubai MOJ-certified legal translation for onshore UAE courts, the DIFC and ADGM Courts and arbitral tribunals, with one glossary per matter.
A litigation file is not a single certificate. It can run to thousands of pages, arrive in batches and depend on defined terms staying identical from the first exhibit to the final award. Email the first batch with the forum and the filing date, and a written quote for it comes back within 10–30 minutes.
Which Language Does Your Forum Work In?
The forum decides the direction of the work:
| Forum | Working language | Usual direction of translation |
|---|---|---|
| Federal courts and the local courts of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah | Arabic | English or other languages into Arabic for pleadings and evidence; Arabic judgments into English for clients or enforcement abroad |
| DIFC Courts | English | Arabic contracts, onshore judgments, police reports and correspondence into English |
| ADGM Courts | English | Arabic into English, as for the DIFC |
| Arbitration (DIAC, ad hoc, or seated abroad) | Chosen by the parties or the tribunal | Often both languages in one file |
Each court applies its own rules on translated documents, so the required format is agreed with the instructing lawyer before work starts. Arabic judgments needed in English are covered under court judgment translation.
Keeping Terms Consistent in Court and Arbitration Translation
Large files are split across several legal translators, and inconsistency is where most translation errors in litigation come from. We control it with:
- A matter glossary built at the start: party names, defined terms, contract titles, court names and recurring legal phrases, translated once and used everywhere
- A single reviewer per matter, who reads the whole translation for consistency before certification
- Bilingual layouts on request, source and translation side by side, so counsel can check a clause at a glance
- Batch planning, so urgent exhibits go first and the rest follow in an agreed order; see urgent translation for tight deadlines
Before certification, a second linguist checks each batch against the matter glossary, and an MOJ-licensed legal translator stamps and signs the Arabic filings.
Arbitration: Claims, Evidence and Awards
In arbitration the parties or the tribunal choose the language, and a file often uses two. We translate:
- Requests for arbitration, statements of claim and defense, and procedural orders
- Contracts, variations, notices and project correspondence used as exhibits
- Witness statements and expert reports, including technical, engineering and accounting reports
- Emails, WhatsApp chats, minutes and handwritten notes produced in disclosure
- Awards, and the documents needed when an award is taken to the onshore courts for recognition and enforcement, which usually require Arabic
We work on proceedings before UAE institutions such as DIAC in Dubai, on international arbitrations seated elsewhere, and on ad hoc matters.
Court Interpreters for Hearings
When a client, witness or expert does not speak the language of the hearing, we can arrange an interpreter for court sessions, arbitration hearings, notary appointments and client conferences. Interpreters are briefed with the matter glossary so their terms match the written translations. See our interpretation services.
Working With Us as a Firm
- One point of contact who knows the matter and its deadlines
- Confidentiality agreements signed before the first file is shared, and documents handled on a need-to-know basis
- Batches ordered by email or WhatsApp, each with its own written quote and visible in online tracking
- Final files delivered electronically, with stamped hard copies couriered to your office free of charge
- Account and billing arrangements agreed with our team
For individual clients and single documents, see legal translation in Dubai; for the "sworn" terminology foreign counsel often use, see sworn translation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you translate a full evidence bundle into Arabic before a filing deadline?
Yes. The bundle is shared across a team of legal translators, read by one reviewer for consistency, and delivered in the batch order you set, urgent exhibits first.
Do the DIFC and ADGM Courts need Arabic documents in English?
Generally yes, since both work in English. We translate Arabic contracts, judgments and correspondence into English and confirm each court's format with the instructing lawyer.
How do you keep defined terms identical across several translators?
A matter glossary is built at the start and applied to every batch and every translator, and one reviewer reads the whole file before certification.
Can the hearing interpreter use the same terminology as the written translations?
Yes. Interpreters are briefed with the matter glossary, so the terms spoken at the hearing match the translated bundle.
Will you sign our NDA before we send the file?
Yes. We sign your confidentiality agreement, or ours, before any documents change hands.
Last updated: September 2026
