Solicitor Consultations, Depositions, Mediation, Police Stations
Legal interpreter for UK solicitors and arbitration.
Everything the legal process needs outside the courtroom: client consultations, witness statement drafting, deposition prep, civil and family mediation, contract negotiation, tribunal prep, and police station attendance under PACE Code C.
- Solicitor client consultations across all practice areas
- Deposition + witness statement drafting
- Civil, family and workplace mediation (FMC standards)
- Police stations under PACE Code C, 24/7 duty call-out
- NDA-bound. Legal professional privilege handled to standard.
Legal Interpreter vs Court Interpreter
Court interpreting is the courtroom itself: Magistrates, Crown Court, County Court, Family Court, Employment Tribunal, First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) hearings. Legal interpreting is everything the legal process needs outside the courtroom, and it is the majority of the interpreter's time on any contested matter. Client consultations before the hearing. Witness statement drafting. Depositions on commission. Civil, family and workplace mediation. Contract negotiation with a foreign counterparty. Legal Aid Agency intake. Police station attendance for a detained non-English speaker under PACE Code C.
The two often connect on the same matter. A solicitor takes instructions from a Polish-speaking client in consultation (legal interpreting), then the matter proceeds to a Crown Court trial or an Employment Tribunal (court interpreting). Continuity of interpreter across both is the pattern we recommend, and where continuity is not possible we brief the courtroom interpreter on the consultation glossary in advance. See our court interpreting page for the courtroom side of the same file.
Pricing
Legal interpreting is quoted per session, priced by duration, language pair, and setting (office, police station, remote video).
Legal Aid Agency bookings invoiced under the applicable rate framework. B2B firms on 30-day terms with round-number pricing. Same interpreter for consultation and later courtroom hearing available on request.
How It Works
Four steps from first enquiry to post-session file note.
Enquiry
Language pair, date, setting (office, police station, remote), duration, practice area. Two minutes on the form, WhatsApp, or a call from the custody suite.
Confirmation
Within 15 minutes for PACE call-outs, 4 working hours for scheduled consultations. Fixed rate confirmed and interpreter matched to practice area.
Prep Pack
Case papers, prior statements, glossary and any bilingual documents shared over encrypted channel. Interpreter reads in and locks specialist vocabulary.
Session & File Note
Interpreter on site or on the line. Post-session note back to the solicitor: attendance timestamps, any technical issues, glossary retained for continuity on the file.
Where a Legal Interpreter Fits Best
Six pre-courtroom and out-of-court settings where our legal interpreters are called most often across the UK.
Solicitor Client Consultations
First-instructions meetings, ongoing case reviews, and pre-hearing prep across criminal defence, immigration, family, personal injury and employment. Interpreter matched to the practice area and briefed on the file.
- Criminal defence first consultations
- Immigration intake and appeal prep
- Family law separation and Children Act consultations
- Personal injury liability and quantum discussions
Depositions, Statements & Affidavits
Statement drafting sessions with witnesses whose first language is not English. The interpreter renders questions and answers in real time, checks the drafted statement back into the source language, and confirms the witness's own words. Statement of Truth read out under CPR 32.14.
- PACE Section 9 statements and interviews under caution
- Personal injury and clinical negligence statements
- Commercial dispute deponent affidavits
- Immigration substantive interview prep
Civil, Family & Workplace Mediation
Civil Mediation Council registered mediations, Family Mediation Council standards mediations, workplace grievance mediations, and commercial ADR. The interpreter is neutral and holds strict confidentiality on caucus discussions.
- Family mediation (FMC standards)
- Workplace grievance mediation
- Commercial dispute mediation and ADR
- Community and property mediation
Contract Negotiation
Cross-border commercial contract negotiations, joint venture term sheets, employment contracts for incoming international hires, and pre-signing walkthroughs. Consecutive with sight translation of the drafting during clause-by-clause review.
- Commercial contract signing walkthroughs
- Joint venture term sheet negotiations
- Employment contract pre-signing sessions
- Property conveyancing where a party is non-English speaking
Legal Aid Agency Intake
Legal Aid Agency civil legal aid and criminal duty intake, means and merits assessment interviews, and Legal Help scheme interviews. Scheme reference captured at booking; interpreter matched to case type before attendance.
- Civil legal aid first consultations
- Family legal aid intake and eligibility
- Criminal Legal Aid intake and case file open
- Housing possession duty consultations
Police Station Attendance (PACE Code C)
Code C of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Codes of Practice requires an appropriately qualified interpreter for a detainee who does not have sufficient English. We attend consultation with the duty solicitor before questioning, interviews under caution, and the reading of the charge sheet.
- Duty solicitor consultation before questioning
- Interview under caution (audio-recorded)
- Section 41 PACE extended detention interviews
- Charge sheet reading and bail application
PACE Code C: Interpreter at Police Stations
Code C of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Codes of Practice requires the custody officer to arrange an appropriately qualified interpreter for a detainee who cannot understand or speak sufficient English to follow the caution, the reason for arrest, or the questioning that will follow. The interpreter is a legal safeguard, not an operational convenience: any interview conducted without a properly qualified interpreter, where one was required, is challengeable at the admissibility stage under section 78 PACE.
We are contacted by custody sergeants directly and by solicitors on the Legal Aid Agency criminal duty rota. Response time in London and major cities is typically 60 to 90 minutes in active hours; regional stations and overnight call-outs vary by language availability. Priority coverage in Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Arabic and Lithuanian. Other pairs handled on availability with clear turnaround given at first call.
Confidentiality & Legal Professional Privilege
Legal professional privilege attaches to the interpreter as an agent of the solicitor. Everything said in the consultation, the mediation caucus, or the pre-signing negotiation is privileged in the same way as if the solicitor were speaking directly to the client. Every interpreter signs an NDA before any assignment. No independent recording, no note retention outside the file, no discussion of the matter with anyone outside the retainer.
Where a firm requires signed confidentiality on a per-matter basis (commercially sensitive M&A, family law high-net-worth work, sensitive employment matters), we sign the firm's own confidentiality form ahead of the session. UK GDPR and DPA 2018 compliant handling on identifying information: encrypted channel for case papers, retention only for the prep and session window, deletion afterwards.
What Our Clients Say
Feedback from City and regional solicitors, mediators, and firms handling cross-border commercial work.
"We use Tatkowski for Ukrainian and Polish consultations in the office and for Legal Aid Agency asylum intake. Reliable, on time, and the interpreter reads the file properly before the client walks in."
Solicitor, immigration and asylum practice, London
"Called at 11pm from a Manchester custody suite for a Romanian-speaking detainee. Interpreter on scene inside 80 minutes, interview under caution ran cleanly. Cannot ask for more on a PACE call-out."
Duty solicitor, Legal Aid Agency criminal duty rota
"Same interpreter for the family mediation and then the Family Court hearing eight weeks later. Vocabulary was consistent between the two, which mattered when the position statements were exchanged."
Family law partner, Central London
Book a Legal Interpreter
Short form or WhatsApp. PACE call-outs: use the number below directly, 24/7.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a legal interpreter different from a court interpreter?
Court interpreting is the actual courtroom or tribunal work: Magistrates, Crown Court, County Court, Employment Tribunal, IAC hearings. Legal interpreting is everything else in the legal process: solicitor client consultations, deposition preparation, witness statement drafting, mediation and ADR, contract negotiation, and police station attendance under PACE Code C for detained non-English speakers. The same interpreter can cover both, and continuity is recommended where the matter is heading to court.
Do you attend police station interviews under PACE Code C?
Yes. PACE Code C requires an appropriately qualified interpreter for a detainee who does not understand or speak English sufficiently to follow the caution or the questioning. We are called by solicitors on the Criminal Legal Aid duty rota and by custody sergeants directly. Response time is typically 60 to 90 minutes in London and major cities during active hours, longer overnight or in regional stations.
What lead time do you need for a solicitor consultation?
24 hours preferred for a first consultation with a new client. Same-day handled where an interpreter is available in the language pair. For a deposition, affidavit drafting or witness statement session over 90 minutes, 3 to 5 working days is preferable so the interpreter can review any prior statements and case papers to lock in specialist vocabulary.
Can we book you for civil mediation and ADR?
Yes. Civil mediation, workplace mediation, family mediation under the FMC standards, and commercial arbitration are part of our regular caseload. The interpreter is neutral, sits outside the caucus rooms unless invited in by the mediator, and holds strict confidentiality on anything said in caucus. Cross-border commercial arbitration is covered under our conference interpreting page for team-of-two work.
Do you invoice Legal Aid Agency and duty solicitor bookings?
Yes. Legal Aid Agency criminal duty and civil legal aid bookings are invoiced under the applicable rate framework. Reference number is captured at booking. Private retainers and solicitor-firm bookings run on 30-day terms with round-number pricing on a per-firm basis.
Can the same interpreter cover the consultation and the courtroom later?
Yes, and this is the strongly recommended pattern. Booking the same interpreter for the private consultation and the eventual court or tribunal hearing removes vocabulary drift between what the client said in private and what is later placed on the record under oath. It is also more efficient: the interpreter already knows the file when the hearing arrives.
How is confidentiality handled on privileged material?
Every interpreter signs an NDA. Legal professional privilege attaches to the interpreter as an agent of the solicitor. No independent recording, no note retention outside the file, no discussion of the matter outside the retainer. UK GDPR and DPA 2018 compliant handling on all identifying information. Firms can request signed confidentiality on a per-matter basis where the retainer requires it.
What languages do you cover for legal work?
Priority coverage in Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Arabic and Lithuanian, which are the highest-volume pairs across UK legal work. Full coverage in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, and 15 further languages including rarer pairs quoted on availability.
