Ensuring that clients served by law firms and insurance companies can communicate quickly and effectively in their first language is not merely a convenience; it is an ethical and legal mandate.
Communication is the foundation of due process, legal counsel and attorney-client privilege. However, for the more than 25.7 million US residents classified as Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals, a language barrier introduces a major vulnerability to the legal process. When language access is compromised, client trust is undermined and the integrity of a case can be jeopardized.
Accentable Services helps organizations remove these barriers by providing convenient and affordable foreign-language interpreting services in more than 260 languages and dialects. Our over-the-phone interpreting services and video interpreting services offer a secure, instant and professional solution that safeguards client confidentiality and upholds the highest standards of legal ethics.
The Trust Barrier: Why Unqualified Interpretation Fails
A cornerstone of legal ethics is the protection of attorney-client privilege. Any failure in confidentiality or accuracy during intake, consultation or deposition can severely compromise a case. Despite these risks, many organizations still rely on family members or unqualified bilingual staff to bridge the gap.
This practice creates significant vulnerabilities:
- -> Breach of Confidence: Unlike professional interpreters, family members are not bound by strict codes of ethics or legal confidentiality commitments, introducing unnecessary risk to the firm.
- -> Terminological Gaps: Legal language is highly technical. A mistake in terminology can fundamentally alter a client’s testimony or a case’s documentation, making the resulting information unreliable.
- -> Adversarial Risk: In litigation, opposing counsel can challenge the admissibility of testimony if the interpreter used was not qualified and impartial.
The Critical Difference Between Bilingualism and Qualified Interpretation
It is a common misconception that being bilingual is the only requirement for interpreting. But in a legal setting, bilingualism alone is insufficient. A qualified interpreter must possess professional training in interpretation skills, a strong understanding of terminology and a firm commitment to impartiality.
Accentable Services provides qualified, experienced, native-speaking phone and video interpreters with specific knowledge of legal and medical terminology. This expertise ensures that the meaning, tone and accuracy of the original speaker are maintained, protecting both the client’s interests and the firm’s reputation.
Security and Confidentiality in High-Stakes Environments
In high-stakes legal and insurance environments, the method of delivery is as crucial as the qualification of the interpreter. Accentable Services’s interpreting services are designed to offer a highly secure channel for communication.
Our service is built around three core pillars of security:
- 1. Professional Commitment: Our phone and video interpreters are explicitly committed to confidentiality and are trained to handle sensitive information.
- 2. On-Demand Access: By using our dedicated language line or video platform, you connect directly to a professional interpreter within a few seconds. This instant access limits the need to schedule external parties, reducing exposure and maintaining a secure, three-way conversation between the client, the legal professional and the interpreter.
- 3. Data Protection: Our commitment to HIPAA-compliant practices underscores our general approach to handling sensitive personal information with the highest level of care and security protocols.
Strengthening Admissibility Through Accuracy
Accuracy is intrinsically tied to ethics and trust. Misinterpretation leads to inaccurate records, potentially failing the client and compromising the outcome of the case. Better Communication, Better Outcomes is not just a slogan; it is a standard for legal success.
Qualified interpreting services ensure that the client intake process and attorney-client privilege conversations are accurate and reliable. This reliability enhances the admissibility of translated testimony and strengthens the firm’s position in any legal proceeding.
Removing Barriers to Better Legal Service
For law firms and insurance companies, choosing a high-quality interpreting partner is an ethical and professional mandate. It is the only way to effectively remove barriers to better service.
Accentable Services provides the secure, expert and instant language access required to protect your client’s interests and uphold the integrity of your practice. We offer affordable language support starting at just $1.49 per minute, with flexible plans for over-the-phone interpreting and video interpreting.