Interpreter Agreement

Scope of Services

As an interpreter on CourtLingual, you agree to provide spoken-language interpretation services for court and agency proceedings booked through the platform. Services are limited to the language pair, modality (simultaneous, consecutive, or sight translation), and assignment scope described in the gig posting. You will:

• Render all interpreted statements faithfully and accurately, preserving tone, register, and meaning without addition, omission, or alteration.
• Provide only the modalities and language pairs for which you hold a current, valid certification or credential accepted in the jurisdiction of the assignment.
• Decline promptly any assignment you are not certified, qualified, or prepared to perform.

Professional Standards

You agree to uphold the standards expected of a court interpreter. Specifically, you will:

• Maintain the neutrality, impartiality, and dignity of the proceeding at all times; refrain from advocacy, advice, or personal commentary on the matter before the court.
• Arrive on time, professionally attired, and prepared for the assignment, including familiarity with any terminology, witnesses, or exhibits the court makes available in advance.
• Conduct yourself with the same standards of conduct, civility, and decorum expected of officers of the court.
• Promptly notify the court and CourtLingual of any issue that prevents safe or accurate performance, including fatigue, illness, conflict of interest, or unsafe conditions.

Confidentiality

You agree to keep strictly confidential all information acquired in the course of an assignment, including but not limited to:

• Privileged communications: attorney-client, clergy-penitent, and other statutorily or judicially protected communications.
• Sealed proceedings and records: any matter designated sealed, ex parte, or closed to the public by the court.
• Personal identifying information: names, addresses, phone numbers, financial details, immigration status, medical history, and other personally identifying information of court participants.
• Plea and settlement discussions: out-of-court statements, negotiations, and settlement conversations not on the record.

Confidentiality obligations survive the completion of any individual assignment and continue for as long as the underlying proceeding or statutory sealing period requires. You may not discuss, record (audio or video), or disclose any case-related information outside the official record.

Independence

You are an independent contractor, not an employee, agent, joint venturer, or partner of CourtLingual or of any court or agency using the platform. You set your own rates, control the means and methods by which you perform interpretation, and may accept or decline any specific assignment offered through the platform. Nothing in this Agreement creates an employment, agency, or franchise relationship, and neither party may bind the other to contracts or obligations outside the platform.

Credential Verification

You agree to:

• Maintain an active, accurate profile showing all current certifications, language pairs, jurisdictions, and expiration dates.
• Upload supporting documentation (certificates, transcripts, exam results, continuing-education records) when CourtLingual requests it for verification.
• Notify CourtLingual within 14 days of any change in credential status, including lapse, suspension, revocation, conditional limitation, or renewal of any certification.

CourtLingual may remove you from the marketplace, withhold payment, or terminate your account if your credentials lapse or are found not to match the language pairs and jurisdictions you have held out to courts.

Conflict and Recusal

You agree to recuse yourself from any assignment in which you have, or have had, a personal, financial, or professional relationship with any party, attorney, witness, judge, or juror. Examples requiring disclosure and recusal include:

• Prior or current employment by any party, attorney, or witness in the matter.
• Family, romantic, financial, or close personal relationships with any party, attorney, witness, or court officer involved.
• Prior knowledge of the case obtained outside the official record.
• Any other circumstance that could reasonably call your impartiality into question.

If you become aware of a potential conflict after accepting an assignment, disclose it immediately to the court and decline further performance. CourtLingual's dispute process applies to disputed recusal calls.

Compensation

• Interpreter-set rates: you set your own rate for each gig; the rate is disclosed to the court before confirmation.
• Platform fee: CourtLingual's fee is shown as a percentage of the gig rate on the booking summary. By accepting the booking, you agree to the fee on confirmed earnings.
• Payout timing: confirmed earnings are paid within 7 business days of gig completion, subject to the platform fee.
• Cancellation fees: cancellation fees paid by courts under the platform's published schedule are passed through to you in full, less the platform fee.
• Taxes: you are responsible for your own federal, state, and local tax obligations on earnings, including self-employment tax. CourtLingual reports earnings as required by tax authorities.

No Off-Platforming

Once a court or agency has been introduced to you through CourtLingual for a specific assignment, all scheduling, communication, payment, and review for that assignment must remain on the platform until the assignment is closed. You may not:

• Use CourtLingual to find a court or agency contact, then complete the engagement off-platform.
• Request or accept payment for an introduced assignment through any channel other than CourtLingual's payment system.
• Share direct contact information for the purpose of routing an introduced assignment off-platform.

Off-platforming on an introduced assignment is grounds for immediate termination and may forfeit any unpaid fees.

Insurance and Liability

You are responsible for carrying any professional liability, errors-and-omissions, or other insurance you consider appropriate for your practice. To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• CourtLingual's total liability to you for any claim arising out of or related to the platform is limited to the greater of (a) the fees you paid us in the 12 months before the claim, or (b) US $500.
• CourtLingual is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost earnings, lost opportunities, or business interruption.
• You agree to indemnify CourtLingual and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of (a) your conduct in connection with a gig, (b) your breach of this Agreement, or (c) your violation of any applicable law or third-party right.

Termination

CourtLingual may suspend or terminate your interpreter account at any time, with or without notice, for reasons including but not limited to:

• Lapse, suspension, or revocation of any required credential.
• Verified complaint of misrepresentation, professional misconduct, or conduct that places court participants at risk.
• Off-platforming or other breach of this Agreement.
• Fraud, falsification of records, or misuse of the platform.

You may close your interpreter account at any time by contacting contact@courtlingual.com; pending payouts for completed gigs will still be processed.

Modifications

We may update this Agreement from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email and by posting a notice in your interpreter dashboard at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Continued performance of services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Agreement.

Contact

Questions about this Agreement? Write to us at:

contact@courtlingual.com

See also our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.