New York state courts: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language

Worth knowing about New York courts

New York courts requirements in detail

The two parts of CPLR 2101(b)

CPLR 2101(b) has a general rule and a translation rule. The general rule: each paper served or filed must be in English, in ordinary usage where practicable.

The translation rule: an affidavit or exhibit annexed to a paper and written in another language must be accompanied by an English translation and by the translator's affidavit stating their qualifications and that the translation is accurate (New York CPLR 2101, Form of papers: subdivision (b), Language).

Both parts must be met; a translation without the translator's affidavit does not satisfy the rule.

The qualifications statement is where translations are most often challenged, so it should say more than "fluent": the languages the translator works in, training or professional experience, and that the translator compared the translation with the original.

Before you file, read the statement that comes with the translation and check that it names the document translated.

Affidavit or affirmation

CPLR 2106 lets the statement of any person, subscribed and affirmed to be true under the penalties of perjury, be used in New York in place of an affidavit, with the same force and effect (New York CPLR 2106, Affirmation of truth of statement).

That means the translator's statement can be an affirmation in the CPLR 2106 form rather than a notarized affidavit. If your attorney or the court prefers a notarized affidavit, add notarization at checkout ($34.90 per order).

In a divorce, the foreign marriage certificate, a prior foreign divorce judgment, or foreign bank and property records used in equitable distribution are typically annexed to affidavits or motion papers, which is exactly what the rule covers.

Documents people usually translate for court

• Marriage certificates and prior foreign divorce judgments in matrimonial actions
• Birth certificates in custody and paternity proceedings
• Foreign bank, property and tax records used in equitable distribution
• Affidavits signed in another language
• Contracts, letters and messages annexed as exhibits

What an eVerbary translation includes

• A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
• A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
• $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
• Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.

Submitting the translation to New York courts

• Annex the translation and the translator's affidavit or affirmation to the foreign-language affidavit or exhibit, and serve or file them together with the paper they support (CPLR 2101(b)).

• We deliver the translation as a PDF with a signed certificate of translation accuracy; notarization can be added at checkout for $34.90 per order.

How to order

1. Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
2. Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
3. Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.

Frequently asked questions