Certified Translator in Montreal
Catherine Diallo
Translating meaning is what I do.
438-883-6989
About Catherine Diallo
Certified translator in Montreal
I’m a jurilinguist / lawyer-linguist and a certified translator for French to English, German to English, English to German, French to German.
Since moving from Luxembourg to Montreal in 2015, I have combined my legal degrees with my passion for languages.
Having lived in Montreal for nearly a decade, I now mainly serve the city’s legal and expat community, including law firms, notaries, and prospective immigrants.
Additionally, I assist legal departments, legal operations, human resources departments, operational managers, accountants, and other financial and legal service providers, located in Montreal and elsewhere, in gaining international success by translating their (or their clients’) documents accurately.
Whether I work directly for other professionals or for their clients, I always guarantee that those hiring me will receive quality work delivered on time.
My clients are mostly based in Montreal, in the province of Quebec, where I’m registered as a certified translator.
Additionally, I am a certified translator for the provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.
Professionals and individuals needing my certified translation services can also count on me in these places, as well as outside of Canada.
As regards international clients, I have provided certified translation services for legal and other entities in Africa, the U.S., and Europe, including the European Court of Justice.
Too often I’ve seen firms and businesses lose unnecessary time and money because meetings, negotiations, proceedings, etc., dragged on for too long because of the misplacement of a word or the lack of clarification.
When such mistakes are made, it leaves a firm or business open to liability, humiliation, more costs, potentially having to rebrand and in a worst-case scenario, a failed expansion strategy.
Things get equally complicated and (at least for me) even more painful to watch when someone’s immigration file or court case is being blocked because a translated document doesn’t meet the requesting authority’s requirements.
Individuals who present translations that don’t meet the formal certification requirements, for example those set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, may even face deportation as a result.
I’m here to make sure this doesn’t happen to you, your firm, or your client.
I’m extremely passionate about the work that I do, and I ensure that it translates into the quality of my work.
Translating meaning is what I do!
Credentials
Qualified lawyer | German bar exam [2013]
Master of Laws [LL.M.] | European business law | Saarland University [2011-2012]
Master of Arts [M.A.] | Management | Berlin School of Economics and Law [2007-2009]
Bachelor of Laws [LL.B.] | German law | Free University Berlin [2001-2006]
Qualified lawyer
German bar exam
[2013]
Master of Laws [LL.M.]
European business law
Saarland University
[2011-2012]
Master of Arts [M.A.]
Management
Berlin School of Economics and Law
[2007-2009]
Bachelor of Laws [LL.B.]
German law
Free University Berlin
[2001-2006]
Certified translator expertise
As a certified translator (C. Tr.) and non-practising lawyer (LL.B., LL.M.) in Montreal, I can help you with accurate & precise certified translations, bilingual editing, and translation consulting for highly sensitive documents involving mergers and acquisitions, investments, immigration, human resources, international litigations, legal documents, and more.
Certified language combinations (C. Tr.)
I provide certified translations for a variety of language combinations, ensuring top-quality results for your specific needs.
Certified translator in Montreal serving lawyers, financial experts, and individuals worldwide
Human
Translation
I translate your legal, business, and financial documents in accordance with the highest standards. I also adapt the translated text to local requirements and customs.
Bilingual
Editing
Do you already have a human translation and want to make sure it’s flawless? I’m happy to review the work for you to guarantee accuracy and style.
Translation
Consulting
Are you uncertain about which documents require a translation? I can advise you based on your specific needs and goals, helping you avoid any unnecessary spending.
Let's bulletproof your documents
What you're looking for in a certified translator
Quality
You may be worried that the translator won’t understand complex legal or financial terminology, so you consider translation skills and subject-matter expertise as equally important when hiring a translator.
Costs
You received a large volume of documents from your client and need to figure out which ones must be translated, but you don’t have the time or language skills to do so. The last thing you want is to pay a middleman or spend money on unnecessary work.
Time
You need to get a complicated legal document translated for an upcoming trial. The translation must be certified, and time is of the essence.
Communication
You would like to reach out to the translator directly, rather than dealing with ever-changing project managers.
Confidentiality
You wish to entrust your confidential documents to one person only and hire them again if needed.
Recognition
You must make sure that the translation respects all formal requirements as set out by the requesting authority.
Why work with me for certified translator services in Montreal
The decision to become a legal and financial translator came naturally to me, given my career experience in legal, regulatory, and financial advisory services.
Some people describe me as a consistency addict. As my client, you will benefit from that trait in various ways. Your text will be translated using consistent terminology while accounting for context and keeping the original meaning.
Translating meaning is what I do.
Experience
Trained lawyer (non-practising) with 10 years of experience in legal drafting and legal, financial, and business translation.
Areas of expertise
I focus on certified and non-certified translations for legal professionals, financial professionals, and international companies. If your request is not within my field of expertise, I will refer you to a trusted colleague.
Reliability
Over 1,000 successfully completed translation projects.
Never miss a deadline
My translations are delivered on time.
Honesty
When clients hire me as a consultant, I inform them of what needs to be translated for their specific undertaking. No “squeezing the lemon.”
Alignment
I ensure that my translations are accurate and reflect the original document’s content, cultural nuances, and tone.
Flexibility
Any formal requirements, such as a stamp on each page or specific wording in the certified translator’s statement, can be accommodated.
Responsiveness
I remain available for questions throughout and after the translation process.
Trust
I am legally bound by confidentiality obligations and will not disclose your documents to any third party without prior approval.
“Ms. Diallo produced a certified translation from French into English of the opinion of Mr. Justice Girouard in an old decision of the Supreme Court of Canada, for our use in a matter recently before the Court of Appeal for Ontario (Roe v Roe, 2024 ONCA 179). We were pleased with Ms. Diallo’s fine rendering of this complex piece of legal writing. She handled terms of art, across both civil and common law, with precision, and attended carefully to nuances in the extensive rehearsal of facts in his Lordship’s judgment. By quieting an important legal issue agitated in the English-language appeal in which we appeared, her translation of the only authority from the highest court directly on point enabled us to apportion our time during argument to better advantage than we could without this case to hand. We ultimately prevailed at the hearing and shall have no hesitation to engage Ms. Diallo for future translations.”
– Nikhil Mukherjee, barrister & solicitor (Rogerson Law Group)
Pricing
I bill my certified translation services by the hour or by the project. I also offer discounts for 3- and 6-month retainers.
FAQ
Certified translations can be required for immigration files, court cases, and other official purposes. A certified translator signs off on their translation and will be held accountable in the case of translation errors and omissions.
No. Most of my clients are located in Montreal. However, many of my clients live in other Canadian provinces, as well as in Africa, Europe, and the U.S.
Artificial intelligence is becoming a widespread tool to help translators manage large volumes of text. Nuance and tone, however, cannot be recognized or translated by machines. It is also impossible to achieve a consistent text with AI tools. For example, the terms “contract” and “agreement” tend to be used interchangeably—and mistakenly—in machine translations. Lawyers cannot let such errors affect their image. To ensure your texts perfectly reflect the intended meaning, you need a translator who understands and knows how to convey that meaning.
I communicate proactively with clients to understand their terminology and other preferences. My multilingual glossaries and translation memories ensure that translated texts are consistent in terms of expression, tone, and format.
It may sound old-fashioned, but I print complex translations for revision. Despite the help of automated grammar and spell checks, nothing beats reading a text on paper with a fresh set of eyes.
Depending on the level of complexity, the translation is reviewed by a trusted colleague if budget and time constraints permit.
As every document is different, turnaround time can only be determined once I know more about the document. Please contact me to get a quote and an expected turnaround time.
Yes, there is an additional fee for an expedited turn around.
Ultimately, it’s up to you. I usually send them via email in PDF format, but some clients prefer Word. Besides PDF format, I can also provide certified translations in hard copy.
I accept credit card payments, bank transfers, checks, and Interac e-transfer.
Yes. If your referral leads to a one-time assignment, you will receive a 15% discount on your next translation. If it leads to a long-term agreement with advance payments, you will receive a 20% discount.
My firm doesn’t, but I am in close contact with a firm that does. Xiomara Rivera Pagán, Ph.D., is an expert in training focused on linguistic diversity and creating language plans that promote multilingual spaces and communities. Training prioritizes linguistic diversity within equitable practices by considering multilingual ideologies and orientations and creating an actionable language plan. For further information, please visit Xiomara’s linguistic diversity services website.
Professional affiliations
