Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
Doctor / Doctora (when not referring to physicians)
English translation:
lawyers' names don't have any title attached in English/you can add JD after the name to signify the legal qualification
Added to glossary by
Erzsébet Czopyk
Mar 7, 2017 16:30
7 yrs ago
22 viewers *
Spanish term
United Kingdom
Doctor / Doctora (when not referring to physicians)
Spanish to English
Law/Patents
Law (general)
Hi all,
I'm translating an "acta de audiencia de asignación" by means of which the legal custody of a child is granted to his adoptive parents.
All throughout the text they refer to the judge, lawyers, etc. as "Dr." and "Dra.", which I know is common in some Latin American countries. My question is, what would you do when translating these titles into English? Remove them and just use their names without any titles? Change them for Mr or Mrs?
Thanks in advance
I'm translating an "acta de audiencia de asignación" by means of which the legal custody of a child is granted to his adoptive parents.
All throughout the text they refer to the judge, lawyers, etc. as "Dr." and "Dra.", which I know is common in some Latin American countries. My question is, what would you do when translating these titles into English? Remove them and just use their names without any titles? Change them for Mr or Mrs?
Thanks in advance
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Mar 8, 2017 18:28: Erzsébet Czopyk Created KOG entry
Mar 8, 2017 18:29: Erzsébet Czopyk changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/122736">Erzsébet Czopyk's</a> old entry - "Doctor / Doctora (when not referring to physicians)"" to ""lawyers' names don't have any title attached in English""
Proposed translations
+1
9 mins
Erzsébet Czopyk
Hungary
Hungary
Specializes in field
Hungary
sworn translator, linguist, DPO
Native in: Hungarian (Variant: Hungary) 
Works in: Russian to Hungarian, Hungarian to Russian, Latvian to Russian, and 10 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
20
Selected
mainly not
UK English:
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/certificates_di...
"I've generally gone with the rule that lawyers' names don't have any title attached in English. In a formal or academic sense you could add JD after the name to signify that they have a legal qualification "
US English:
http://www.formsofaddress.info/Lawyer.html
John Doe, JD
John Doe, attorney at law
John Doe, JD, MBA, Attorney at Law
In my country we use the DR. before the names like Dr. Kovács János ügyvéd (Dr. John Doe, lawyer)
In the neighbouring Slovakia, they put everywhere JuDr before the name, even for the notaries.
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Note added at 11 mins (2017-03-07 16:41:41 GMT)
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"Use of Esq. is important among the ethics rules of the legal profession which require communications from an attorney (on one side) be with the opposing side's attorney rather than directly with the opposing side.
Esq. and J.D. are not used in combination."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 mins (2017-03-07 16:44:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2013/03/professional-...
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish_to_english/certificates_di...
"I've generally gone with the rule that lawyers' names don't have any title attached in English. In a formal or academic sense you could add JD after the name to signify that they have a legal qualification "
US English:
http://www.formsofaddress.info/Lawyer.html
John Doe, JD
John Doe, attorney at law
John Doe, JD, MBA, Attorney at Law
In my country we use the DR. before the names like Dr. Kovács János ügyvéd (Dr. John Doe, lawyer)
In the neighbouring Slovakia, they put everywhere JuDr before the name, even for the notaries.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2017-03-07 16:41:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"Use of Esq. is important among the ethics rules of the legal profession which require communications from an attorney (on one side) be with the opposing side's attorney rather than directly with the opposing side.
Esq. and J.D. are not used in combination."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 13 mins (2017-03-07 16:44:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2013/03/professional-...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Aileen Nieto
: Agree. Is a bad habit in Spanish to name lawyers Dr. or Dra. even if they dont have PHD degrees, that would be the only real reason to call them Dr. or Dra. It is better not to use it in a translation.
51 mins
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Thank you, Aileen!
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| neutral |
AllegroTrans
: "JD" is NEVER added to a lawyer's name in any form of court document that I have ever seen in over 40 years of legal practice
1 day 1 hr
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
13 mins
Counsel (lawyer) / Judge or Your Honor (Judge)
When addressing a lawyer or judge.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Robert Forstag
: That's fine when said parties are being directly addressed, but the Asker's query does not involve direct address of the individuals in question.
11 mins
|
7 hrs
AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
Sensible solutions
Native in: English (Variant: Wessexois)
Works in: French to English, English, English to French
Related KudoZ points
:
1668
Various (this is only a rough guide and is based on England & Wales)
Everything depends on who is adressing whom.
Lawyers, referring to one another during an address to the court use various forms, e.g.
- learned Counsel
- my learned friend
- my friend
- my opponent
When being referred to in a report/transcript I think it is perfcetly acceptable use Mr/Mrs/Miss
When referring to a Judge, there are one or two possibilities, but all depends on the level of the Judge:
- Judge X (lower courts)
- His/her Honour Judge X (middle courts)
- The Honourable Mr/ Mrs Justice X (higher courts)
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Note added at 8 hrs (2017-03-08 00:52:17 GMT)
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But I would never use Mr/Mrs/Miss for a Judge
Lawyers, referring to one another during an address to the court use various forms, e.g.
- learned Counsel
- my learned friend
- my friend
- my opponent
When being referred to in a report/transcript I think it is perfcetly acceptable use Mr/Mrs/Miss
When referring to a Judge, there are one or two possibilities, but all depends on the level of the Judge:
- Judge X (lower courts)
- His/her Honour Judge X (middle courts)
- The Honourable Mr/ Mrs Justice X (higher courts)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2017-03-08 00:52:17 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
But I would never use Mr/Mrs/Miss for a Judge
8 hrs
Christian [email protected]
United States
United States
Native in Spanish
United States
Architect/Translator for over 30 years
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
12
ESQ.
My (Danish) father used to say that in my native Venezuela all you needed to be called "Doctor" was to wear glasses.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Robert Forstag
: Haha. It seems that anyone with a university degree is eligible for the title.
21 mins
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My father didn't.... ;-)
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| neutral |
AllegroTrans
: Not in current use in English (at least not in UK); very dated and never seen in court transcripts/orders
12 hrs
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Interesting. In the US, very common.
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Discussion
@veronicaes:
Mr., Mrs. and Ms. we use only in the beginning of a correspondence but never in documents.
Happy translating to all female colleagues :)