Let`s think back to your basketball contract. Why is there legal language? The basketball contract is a binding agreement between you and the team. Because you are expected to behave a certain way and be held to certain standards, your understanding of expectations may be different from that of the team. To ensure everyone is on the same page, the contract details each goal to avoid loopholes and misunderstandings. In short, there is always another way to use language that does not involve the use of legal language. Since a large part of the population is not familiar with the foreign language, it may be better to eliminate its use to allow for more direct understanding. Let`s take a moment to review what we`ve learned. Legal language describes specialized words and phrases used in the field of law and often found in contracts. It provides common ground for lawyers to avoid disagreements over the interpretation of a legal document. When used in a contract, it defines how a contract is developed, implemented and terminated. Sometimes lawyers who use too much legal language can sound pretentious. This is because lawyers sometimes abuse legal language to appear smarter or more experienced than their peers.
Especially when it is not justified, most lawyers tend to avoid legal language to protect their reputation. Contract templates are another example of a place where you can often find legal language. Since these templates are often created by lawyers for use by the general public, it makes sense that they would have the same language that lawyers typically use. Some people argue that legal language is not necessary at all. While legal language may be useful for accuracy in some scenarios, it is also possible that better use of typical English language is sufficient. Instead of using a crutch, lawyers could communicate more effectively by better organizing their thoughts. Your policies are also for your protection. For example, terms and conditions help protect your website`s rights and determine how users can interact with your properties.
If your terms and conditions are full of legal language, your users won`t understand them and won`t be able to follow your rules. When creating legal guidelines for your business, avoid legal language, a form of drafting that makes your policies unnecessarily complicated. Legal writing courses in law schools increasingly emphasize the benefits of legal writing, which can be understood clearly, concisely, and by non-legal readers. Proponents of plain English argue that since non-lawyers have adjusted their legal rights, duties and obligations through legal instruments, parties should be able to understand the content of the instrument without having to bear the additional costs of hiring a lawyer to translate the legal language. A person may want to unlock their phone, but can`t because they haven`t paid their bill. It is included in the Terms and Conditions, but the customer may have skimmed these Terms and Conditions only because he thinks they are too complicated or do not apply. In this case, the legal language protects the company, but if the legal language is not explained or the customer does not read the contract in its entirety, the customer may feel mistreated. Read on to find out where you can find legal language, get examples and ideas on why lawyers use it. Next, learn why it`s not always the best language for lawyers in certain situations.
Common legal terms include the following, which we have covered in this lesson: When customers see legal language in your business policies, they may feel confused, offended, or simply reluctant to engage with your business. All of these feelings make customers less inclined to make a purchase or sign up for membership. This article discusses the importance of legal language, reasons to avoid legal language, and best drafting practices for your legal policies. An example of legal language is the terms of the contract. In a mobile phone contract could be certain conditions: the amount due each month, the customer`s obligation to pay for the phone, military exemptions or payment plans. All this can become very confusing, especially if the person does not understand his obligations when buying the phone. On the other hand, when legal language is used in litigation, it is often made to tie a crime to previous proceedings. This is because the effects of crime are different depending on past decisions. Given that much of our court system is based on judgments that have been made in the past, lawyers could argue that this is necessary. Instead, they aim to get their message across as effectively and directly as possible.
The easiest way to do this in many cases is to use legal language. It`s natural if the person they`re communicating with is familiar with the terminology. To help you get a better example of what legal language is, here are some examples: If you need help understanding legal language or need a document creation with the language it contains, the best way forward is to get in touch with a contract attorney. Similarly, Canada`s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) requires organizations to be transparent to the public about their data-handling practices, which means that privacy policies must be clear and illegal. If users have trouble understanding your policies because there is too much legal language, it could have consequences for your business. TurboTax`s current user agreement, which still contains an arbitration clause, covers over 15,000 words of dense legal language. It is a lawyer`s job to choose their words wisely to ensure they are fully understood. A mispronounced word could cause chaos when it comes to court cases.
Therefore, legal language can be crucial in many situations. See the full definition of legal language in the dictionary of English language learners Below is an example of a passage from the terms and conditions of the Strawberry mobile phone contract. It deals with the guarantees provided by the company. See how many examples of legal language you can identify: These sample phrases are automatically selected from various online information sources to reflect the current use of the word “legal language.” The views expressed in the examples do not represent the views of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us your feedback. Overall, legal language is useful in many scenarios. It allows lawyers to speak as effectively as possible and allows them to communicate their views to each other and to the judge in a way that is easily understandable in the legal society. Learn more about why lawyers use legal language by reading this article. I realize that this statement is written in the harmless legalese that judges must use, but I am sure that Justice Gallagher is showing his true feelings here. For us, the worst culprits are legal language and planning documents.
Translated from legal German into plain English, this sentence simply refers to the line “Date”, which often follows a signature. Here are some common examples of legal language. A brief definition or explanation is attached: In general, it is appropriate for a lawyer to use legal language when drafting legislation or addressing a judge. However, as this can create a language barrier, it is not ideal for communicating with customers. One of the most important tasks of a lawyer is precision and accuracy. Language is no exception. Even though there is a broader language that could be used to communicate a point, this is not the purpose of a lawyer when using legal German. Make a list of five types of agreements where you might encounter legal language.
The lesson shows the example of a cell phone contract, but find five examples of your own. Also, legal language makes users feel alienated, as most people outside of the lawyer are not familiar with legalese. Legal language in contracts allows lawyers to communicate as clearly as possible to avoid misunderstandings, confusion or debate. Since contracts are binding legal agreements that set the tone for disputes, it`s always a good idea for lawyers to use legal language instead of standard language for ultimate accuracy. Here`s another legal example found in a disclaimer example: Let`s say you sign a contract to become a professional basketball player. The contract contains many confusing terms that you are not sure about. Before you decide to sign, hire a lawyer to review the contract with you. It tells you that the legal language of a contract is sometimes too difficult for the typical person to understand. Therefore, it is important that the contract is first reviewed by a lawyer. Legal language refers to the contractual language used by lawyers.
This legal terminology or language usually refers to words such as “henceforth” and “determination.” Essentially, legal language is legalese that can be difficult for people outside the industry to understand. In the United Kingdom and the United States, advocates of plain English have campaigned for a reform of legal language to make legal documents more understandable to the public. Here is an article where you can find more examples of legal language.