Prism Language Solutions provides Catalan interpreters for depositions, arbitrations and court hearings, medical appointments and USCIS interviews anywhere in the United States, in person, by phone or by video. Every Catalan interpreter we assign also works in Spanish, so a file that switches between the two languages is handled by one person, and we will tell you honestly when a Spanish interpreter alone would serve.
Catalan is a Romance language in its own right, official in Catalonia, the Valencian Community (where it is called Valencian) and the Balearic Islands, and the official language of Andorra. It is not a dialect of Spanish. A Spanish interpreter will follow a good part of a Catalan sentence and misread the rest, and because the misreading sounds fluent, nobody in the room catches it.
Most requests we see are corrections. A court or a law firm booked Spanish by reflex, then found that the witness preferred Catalan, or that the contracts on the table were written in it. Knowing that at the start saves a second hearing date.- Certified translations prepared to meet USCIS requirements
- Human linguists only, matched to the subject
- Fixed written quote within 60 minutes in business hours
- One office in New York, linguists in every state
Catalan Interpreter or Spanish Interpreter: Which to Book
Ask the witness, patient or applicant which language they want to use when the questions get difficult, and book that one. If the answer is Spanish, book a Spanish interpreter: the pool is larger, the scheduling easier, and in court a certified Spanish interpreter is widely available. Our Spanish interpreter page covers that route.
If the answer is Catalan, respect it, particularly for testimony. A witness who grew up speaking Catalan at home may reach for it under cross-examination, and forcing a switch to Spanish produces shorter, less exact answers on the transcript. The same applies to an older relative describing symptoms to a doctor.
Catalan Interpreter for Depositions and Commercial Arbitration
Commercial work is where Catalan interpreting earns its fee. A company based in Barcelona, Valencia or Palma may keep its board minutes, supply contracts and internal email in Catalan, with threads that switch to Spanish or English halfway down. When an executive is deposed on those documents, the interpreter has to sight-translate exhibits on the spot, and a Spanish-only interpreter cannot read the Catalan pages.
What helps us prepare. Send the exhibit list, the key documents and a glossary of product or contract terms in advance. We assign an interpreter with deposition experience, and for long sessions we recommend a second interpreter so the pair can alternate. The court interpreting page sets out the deposition and hearing formats.Catalan Court Interpreter Qualification
Catalan has no court interpreter certification exam in any US state, and it does not appear on the lists of certified languages that states such as Virginia publish. A Spanish certification covers Spanish only. So a judge who needs a Catalan interpreter qualifies one on the record, based on training and prior court or deposition work, and we supply that background to the clerk before the hearing.
Civil matters dominate: distribution and licensing disputes, a custody case with one parent in Catalonia, an estate with property on the Costa Brava. Either can run in person or, where counsel agree, by video.
Valencian and Balearic Catalan Interpreter Requests
Clients sometimes ask for a Valencian or a Mallorcan interpreter. The varieties differ in pronunciation, in some vocabulary and in a few verb forms, and a fluent Catalan interpreter handles all of them without difficulty. If the speaker would feel more at ease with someone from the same area, tell us the town, and we match the variety where we can.
Written documents follow the same logic: a Valencian civil record is translated by a Catalan translator. See Catalan translation, including the Spanish registry rule that lets a birth or marriage be entered in Catalan.
Catalan Interpreter for Hospital Visits and USCIS Interviews
Medical requests usually concern a visitor from Catalonia or Andorra who has fallen ill. A hospital that receives federal financial assistance must offer language assistance free of charge, and the patient’s language is the one they choose. Video covers most consultations; see medical interpreting.
At USCIS, Spanish and Andorran nationals attend marriage-based adjustment and naturalization interviews. A Catalan interpreter is worth booking when the applicant is more exact in Catalan, and the interpreter renders every answer as given. See USCIS interview interpreting.
Catalan Interpreting Cost and Scheduling
For an in-person assignment, the typical US market range is $45 to $95 an hour with a two-hour minimum; full-day depositions are quoted by the day. Remote sessions are quoted by the hour. Quotes start from four facts, the date, the setting, the expected length and whether exhibits are in Catalan, sent through the quote form, or phone +1 (833) 282 8883, and a fixed written quote follows within 60 minutes in business hours. Guide figures are on the pricing page.
Ready to start? Send the document or the booking details through the quote form, call +1 (833) 282 8883, or email info@prismlinguistics.com. You get a fixed written price within 60 minutes during business hours.