Why Plain Language is Better Than "Legalese"
From LawDepot Law Library
Contents |
Why Plain Language is Better Than "Legalese"
A common complaint about legal documents is that the "legalese" is difficult, if not impossible, for anyone who is not a lawyer to understand. Even lawyers sometimes have trouble decoding legalese.
Because of the difficulty in understanding legalese, a number of people, both within and outside of the legal industry, have been pushing for greater use of plain language in legal documents.
LawDepot has supported this movement from our inception, and we encourage you to use plain language when drafting documents on our website. With that in mind, here is a list of reasons why it is better to use plain language than legalese.
Plain Language is Easier to Understand
The biggest argument in favor of using plain language (sometimes referred to as "plain English"), instead of legalese, is that plain language is much easier to understand.
Unlike legalese, which can sometimes seem intentionally unclear, plain language is written with the purpose of clarity. The clearer and more concise your writing, the less likely it is that your contract will be misunderstood.
Plain Language is Less Likely to be Misinterpreted
Because plain language is easier to understand, it is less likely to be misinterpreted. Contracts written in legalese are sometimes open to interpretation, as the writing does not make the intent of the document clear. When you write in plain language, the intent of your contract will be clearer.
If a contract is easier to understand and less likely to be misinterpreted, it's also more likely to be complied with. A document written in clear, plain language is less likely to be accidentally violated by someone who doesn't understand the terms of the contract.
Additionally, if a document written in plain language is challenged, there will be less room for a judge to interpret (or misinterpret) the document. If the contract is in plain language, it will generally be a simple matter for a judge to determine who is in the right and who is in the wrong. In fact, studies have concluded that most judges prefer the use of plain language.
Plain Language Saves Time and Money
Because contracts written in plain language are shorter than contracts written in legalese, they can be drafted in less time. This time saved translates into money saved for the client.
The use of plain language in legal contracts has also made it possible for people to draft many common legal and business documents on their own, which means even more savings on legal fees.
Of course, even though you can draft a contract using plain language, it is still important to make sure that the contract is worded correctly in order for it to be legally binding. LawDepot helps you with this by creating documents for you, based on the information you provide.
As long as you correctly complete all of the required fields, using LawDepot.com to draft your legal documents will ensure that you get a legally binding, plain language contract for less than the cost of hiring a lawyer to draft an equivalent document. For additional insurance that your document will be legally binding, LawDepot offers an optional Accuracy Review with most of your products.
