Family law can be tricky enough at the best of times, but even more so if English is not your first language. There are some complicated legal concepts and processes involved in divorce and separation, and it can be hard to understand these in a second language. Perhaps less obvious is the fact is that it is more difficult for your solicitor too – we want to act in your best interests, and in order to do that it is important that you fully understand the advice we give.
So imagine the excitement in discovering that you and your client share a common language – this is what happened to me recently on receiving an enquiry from an Italian client. I was able to offer her the option of conducting the meeting in either English or Italian (I am bilingual, and comfortable in either language), and we were both immediately more at ease knowing there would be no issue with communication. They chose to continue in Italian, which I was happy to accommodate, and the meeting proceeded as it usually would, with both of us confident that the client could concentrate fully on the advice I was giving rather than worrying about not understanding me.
There were challenges: I am not able to translate all of the technical legal language, as some words and concepts simply do not exist in both languages. Additionally, correspondence is likely to be in English (with translation where necessary) so that it can be monitored and accounted for. Finally, if possible it is useful to learn some of the key terms in English, as you will know what to listen and look out for in other situations.
Nevertheless, being able to communicate fully with a client is so important, and I was delighted to be able to offer this service. If you would like your appointment to take place in a language other than English, please let us know and we will see what can be done to accommodate this.
Se si cerca un appuntamento in italiano con riguardo un divorzio o una separazione, contattarmi per discutere come si puo` procedere.