What Is The Make-or-Break Factor in Your Korean Legal Battle?
“The interpreter was stumbling so much that the judge ended up asking me everything directly. I had to do the interpreter’s job, talking nonstop for hours.”
SLG lawyers often share similar experiences after coming back from investigations, trials, or other legal proceedings. The quality of interpretation can shape the outcome for foreigners in the Korean legal system, but unfortunately, the public interpreter system in Korea is still inadequate. There are no dedicated or full-time staff, and due to poor working conditions, the competence levels among public interpreters show wide disparities.
“That’s one of the most important ways we feel we’re giving our clients their legal fees’ worth,” While many lawyers claim they can speak English, we go beyond mere language proficiency. Our lawyers not only excel in English communication but also provide the highest level of legal service in the industry. But why is a lawyer’s English proficiency so important?
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How Your Words Can Be Mistranslated and Luckily Corrected
“Mistranslations, omissions, and subtle shifts in meaning during interpretation processes happen all the time. I can understand everything, of course. If the interpreters mistranslated in our favor, I just let it go. But if they mistranslate it against us, I pounce on it and correct it immediately, saying, ‘Officer, that’s not what my client said. He said it like this, right?’ Then the interpreters admit their mistake, and the record is amended accordingly.”
If you have even a basic understanding of two languages and have experienced interpretation services just a few times, you will frequently notice that there is a significant chance your words are mistranslated or omitted during the interpretation process. In legal proceedings, this can severely undermine the client’s position. However, SLG’s service surpasses merely accurate representation.
Reframing Situations Beyond Reframing Language
“It’s not just about using language in a correct manner. We can instantly assess whether our client’s statement is advantageous or disadvantageous. With Korean clients, once they’ve said something, the police officer understands it right away, so there’s no way to backtrack. However, with foreign clients, even if they say something slightly wrong, we can somewhat mitigate or buffer it during our intervention in the interpretation process.”
This is a crucial point to consider when choosing a law firm as a foreigner. Verify your lawyer’s level of English proficiency and communication skills. Many lawyers who claim to handle foreign cases only process legal work with the help of an interpreter. In contrast, at SLG, English is not a barrier but our decisive advantage.
Why SLG Lawyers Can Intervene Despite Prohibition
The power of this approach will look clearer when you understand that lawyers are strictly prohibited from intervening in their clients’ statements during investigations. But SLG attorneys can interject by addressing interpreter errors or misunderstandings. We advise all clients to request a court interpreter, regardless of their Korean fluency. This creates opportunities for us to intervene on interpretation issues, not on the investigation itself.
This is how the high level of English proficiency among SLG lawyers can be a distinctive strength in foreign cases. Imagine a situation where the investigator does not fully understand your statements, and the interpreter also fails to perform adequately. In this critical moment, only your lawyer can make instant assessments of your words’ favorability, strategically filter and intervene, ensuring that only legally sound information is documented. It’s only natural that this capability often leads to positive outcomes in many cases.
Why Not All “English Speaking Lawyers” Are Equal – SLG’s Unique Skill
All SLG lawyers are hired based on excellent English literacy and undergo rigorous training afterward, but that is not all. Intervening in interpretation is another skill, as repeated remarks by a lawyer can provoke negative emotions in other participants in a context where such interventions are prohibited. Investigators often retort, “Lawyer, we’re not asking you,” and get upset. Likewise, challenging the expertise of a government-appointed expert while ultimately gaining their acknowledgment is no easy feat.
Without sophisticated and seasoned communication skills, intervention can backfire, potentially harming the client’s position and offending everyone involved. You should choose a lawyer who is not oblivious of the other professionals’ desire for acknowledgement in their field. (Click here if you want to read a more detailed story about SLG lawyers’ exceptional communication ability). In fact, SLG lawyers often receive thanks from them for correcting mistranslations. Moreover, the friendly relationship with investigators is formed in advance of the investigation. SLG lawyers are experts in maximizing their influence on the case.
Conclusion
Find a lawyer who listens to your voice and reconstructs it into the most persuasive legal language. What may seem like a barrier can become an opportunity. We are serializing how Seoul Law Group has defended clients’ rights successfully.