Most legal contracts seem to be rooted in an ancient language, filled with words like herein, thereto and hereby. But according to a recent article for A List Apart, there’s no reason to write contracts as if we are citizens of ancient Rome. It’s time to update our legal contracts for the 21st century.
This article may be written for web site designers writing contracts for work with clients, but it provides good advice for anyone writing contracts. “If we want to address the readability problems unique to our era—and improve communication with our clients—then it’s time we fix the language, layout, and typesetting of our contracts.” That includes replacing legal jargon with plain language, structuring text for clarity, and using fonts that are easy to read.
Designing Contracts for the XXI Century
By Veronica Picciafuoco