Notice how the 8-word passive sentence was simplified into a 5-word active sentence while conveying the same message in both examples. Passive: Tom’s automobile had allegedly been stolen by Brian.Īctive: Brian allegedly stole Tom’s automobile. The active voice emphasizes the value of proper sentence structure, allowing subjects to perform actions instead of explaining executed actions without identifying the subject. The passive voice essentially requires using 10 words to convey a 5-word point. To keep your legal writing simple, you must use an active voice instead of the commonly used passive voice. Shorten complex phrases and sentences, remove any redundancies, and avoid extraneous words. Keep that same “courtroom conversation” mentality with your legal writing. Excessive wordiness and “fluff” could lead to multiple objections, a confused jury or a derailed train of thought. When addressing a jury or defending your case in front of a judge, you must master the art of making your point as quickly as possible. However, when you clear away the extra, unnecessary sentences and excessive words, you realize that the core message is only 250-500 words. Have you ever read a lengthy document where the number of valuable words was a small fraction of the total word count? For example, a document may contain 1,000 words within it. If a word, phrase or specific sentence does not add value to your document, remove it. How, though, can you boost the quality of your legal writing to meet the bar of raised expectations? Here are six helpful tips for you to consider and apply. Mistakes happen – that’s why having an expert legal document writer on staff is crucial. Remember the famous typo that cost the Japanese company, Mizuho Securities Co., over 200 million for a simple error? Instead of selling single shares for 610,000 yen apiece, they instead sold their shares for 610,000 shares for 1 yen apiece. Who needs to be reminded of the consequences of bad legal writing? Bad legal writing can lose cases, millions of dollars, and in the some extreme instances, it can lead to public reprimands from the judge. Creating well-developed, high-quality legal documents can enhance your firm’s reputation and credibility. The value and significance of this specific writing form is crystal clear in this industry. Advice Even The Best Legal Document Writer Will ForgetĬreating legal documents and drafting correspondence may not be the most enjoyable part of the law profession.
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