Sometimes, you might need to submit court decisions rendered by one country (under its specific legal system) to another country (under another legal system) so that they can be recognized and have full legal effect.
This is common in divorce decrees. If you divorced in one country and want to register it in another, you need a translation of the divorce decree or divorce settlement agreement in order to ask for its recognition.
Usually, judgments from one country or jurisdiction are recognized by another country according to the principle of “comity”. The underlying idea is that different jurisdictions will reciprocate each other’s judgments out of mutual respect and legal reciprocity. This is something informal and voluntary on the side of the court recognizing the foreign judgment. In order to apply for the recognition and enforcement of our judgment or sentence, we need to provide the court with a copy of the document and an official translation.
In order for your document to be admitted and to be able to initiate the recognition process, you will have to provide an official translation, performed by a sworn translator/interpreter, appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Only sworn translations bearing the seal and signature of a sworn translator are accepted by courts and tribunals.
Similarly, other legal documents such as lease contracts, work contracts or contracts of sale are affected by the same norms we detailed above and also need to be translated by a sworn translator in order to be provided as evidence in court.