Certified for court
Recordings for Court
Voice notes, phone calls and videos transcribed and translated line by line, checked against the audio by two linguists, and certified for court.
Last updated
Why Lingo Service
- ISO 17100 certified and an ITI corporate member
- 260+ languages, native qualified linguists
- Certified translation from £35, transparent pricing
- Same-day return available on weekdays
- GDPR-compliant, files stored in the UK
Recordings We Work With
Typed, translated and checked line by line by qualified linguists
Voice notes and phone calls
WhatsApp voice notes, phone calls and voicemails, typed in the language spoken and translated line by line.
Videos and recorded interviews
Family videos, recorded interviews and online meetings: we take the sound from the video and transcribe it.
Evidence for family and civil courts
Transcripts and translations of recordings used as evidence, with the translator's signed Statement of Truth.
Bilingual court layout
Time, speaker, the words as spoken and the English translation side by side, so everyone can follow and check.
Fingerprinted and logged
Your file's digital fingerprint is taken on upload and printed on the certified transcript, and every change is logged with who made it.
Research interviews
University and research interviews in other languages, transcribed and translated for analysis.
Why Choose Us
Made for court rules
Civil and family court rules ask the translator to sign and certify a translated statement. Every court transcript comes with the translator's signed certificate.
Checked against the audio, line by line
Our linguist plays each line and checks every word, and a second linguist revises court work. Words that cannot be heard are marked, never guessed.
Check it yourself before it is certified
Play your recording with the transcript following along in your browser, add a note to any line, then approve it. No account needed.
Price first, delivery in days
Upload the recording and see a fixed price at once. Up to 20 minutes in 2 working days, then one more working day for every 10 minutes.
Client Types We Serve
Family and private law
- Family court and child arrangements
- Domestic abuse evidence
- Divorce and financial disputes
- Employment tribunals
- Personal injury claims
- Private prosecutions
Solicitors and barristers
- Witness evidence in other languages
- Recorded calls and messages
- Interview recordings
- Disclosure bundles
- Exhibits for witness statements
- Urgent hearing deadlines
Universities and research
- Research interviews
- Focus groups
- Oral history recordings
- Field recordings
- Bilingual transcripts for analysis
- PhD and staff research
Enterprise & Volume Solutions
Scalable translation solutions for organisations with ongoing or high-volume needs
Dedicated Account Manager
Single point of contact for all your translation needs. Priority support and project coordination.
Volume Pricing
Competitive rates for high-volume projects. Translation memory reduces costs on recurring content.
Framework Agreements
SLA-backed contracts with guaranteed turnaround times, fixed pricing, and service level commitments.
Security & Compliance
Cyber Essentials certified. GDPR compliant. NDA protection. Secure file handling for sensitive documents.
Or call our enterprise team: 0800 193 8888
Available in 260+ Languages
We provide this service in all major world languages
- العربيةArabic
- اردوUrdu
- PolskiPolish
- RomânăRomanian
- پښتوPashto
- فارسیFarsi
- کوردیKurdish Sorani
- ትግርኛTigrinya
Our Process
Upload and see the price
Add the recording, choose the language spoken and the language of the translation, and see the fixed price at once.
Fingerprint and first cut
We record the file's digital fingerprint and cut the recording into lines at the pauses.
Typed and translated
A qualified linguist types what is said, translates it and checks every line against the audio.
Second linguist and your check
For court work a second linguist revises it. You then play it with the transcript following along and approve it or add notes.
Certified and delivered
The translator signs the certificate and you receive the transcript in Word and PDF, with the fingerprint on it.
What you receive
A transcript with the time, the speaker, the words as spoken and the English translation side by side, the recording's digital fingerprint, and the translator's signed certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about recordings for court
How much does a recording for court cost?
It is priced per minute of audio: £12 a minute for common languages with clear audio, £18 for rare languages or difficult audio, and £24 for rare languages with difficult audio. A certified transcript of an English recording is £3 a minute. Every court job starts at £95, the translator's certificate included. Upload your recording to see the exact price.
Which languages count as common and which as rare?
Common languages are our two lower price groups, which include Arabic, Polish, Romanian, Urdu, Turkish, Farsi and Chinese. Rare languages include Pashto, Tigrinya, Somali, Amharic and Tamil. The quote form works it out for you when you choose the language spoken.
What recordings can you work with?
WhatsApp voice notes, phone recordings, voicemails and videos: MP3, M4A, WAV, OGG, OPUS, MP4 and MOV files up to 95 MB each on the quote form. For a larger video, contact us and we will collect it.
How do I know the recording was not changed?
When you upload the file we take its digital fingerprint, a SHA-256 code. The same code is printed on your certified transcript, so anyone can check that the transcript belongs to that exact recording and that the file was not altered.
Will the transcript work for court?
We certify it the way civil and family court rules ask: the translator signs a statement that the translation is accurate, with their name and the date. If your solicitor or the court needs a particular wording or layout, tell us when you order.
Can I check the transcript before it is certified?
Yes. With your draft you get a private link that plays the recording with the transcript following along. Add a note to any line that needs a change, or approve it. No account is needed.
What if parts of the recording are hard to hear?
We mark words that cannot be heard as [inaudible] and our best reading of an unclear word as [unclear: word]. We never guess. Choose difficult recording when you order if there are several speakers, background noise or strong accents.
How long does it take?
Recordings up to 20 minutes take 2 working days; add one working day for every further 10 minutes. If you have a hearing date, tell us and we will say what is possible.
Who can open my recording?
Only our project team and the linguists working on your job. Recordings and transcripts are stored on our servers in London.
Need Recordings for Court?
Get started in less than 60 seconds
- Accepted by the Home Office
- Available 24 Hours
- ITI Corporate Member