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Certified Somali Legal Separation Translation
Certified translation of the documents that record a legal separation in Somalia, including the registry annotations and endorsements that carry the legal effect and that a reader unfamiliar with the system will otherwise skip.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
Sharia, custom and whatever was recorded
Somali family matters are governed by Islamic law alongside xeer, customary law administered by clan elders, and the formal court system has limited reach. There is no civil legal separation.
So a Somali divorce may be evidenced by a sharia court document, an elders' decision, a mosque record, or an affidavit. We name the body that issued it and describe the document for what it is rather than presenting it as a court decree.
Talaq, and the documentation that follows
Divorce is generally by talaq pronounced by the husband, with khul available to the wife by agreement, and a document may record the pronouncement, the waiting period (idda) and the financial settlement.
Those elements are the substance of the instrument and we translate each rather than reducing the document to the fact of divorce.
Somaliland, and documents from abroad
Authorities in Somaliland operate their own courts and registries from Hargeisa, and documents name them. We name the issuing authority exactly as printed, without commentary on status.
A great many Somali family documents in US files were issued in Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen or the Gulf, or by a community body in the diaspora. We name the issuing body and the country.
Three names, and three languages
Somali names run given name, father's name, grandfather's name with no inherited family name, so matching parties across documents goes through all three.
Documents carry Somali, Arabic and English, sometimes all three, and Somali uses c and x for sounds English lacks. See our Somali asylum documents page.
Ordering, and what the certification covers
Upload the document, choose certified translation at $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and it comes back typically within 24 hours as a PDF formatted to mirror the original, with a signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead. Marginal annotations are translated in place, in the margin, and every seal, stamp and registry endorsement is translated with the text. See how we translate and certified versus standard.
Frequently asked questions
Is there legal separation in Somalia?
No. Islamic law and customary xeer govern, and there is no civil separation.
My divorce document is from elders.
Customary xeer decisions are a real part of the system. We name the body and describe the document for what it is.
My documents are from Somaliland.
We name the issuing authority exactly as printed, without commentary on status.
Which of my three names is the surname?
None. Given name, father, grandfather, shifting each generation.
Ready to get started?
Upload the document and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.