It is all too common for people to become frustrated with
lawyers’ so-called “legal speak,” which can often be confusing for those not
fluent in it. Over the years, countless people have asked the question, “Why can’t lawyers just use plain language?”
The truth of the matter is that everyday language often has
different possible interpretations—and that’s not something you want to run
into in legal documents. Guidelines, rules, policies, wills, and all other
legal documents should be as clear as possible; it’s when they’re not that
lawsuits happen.
While plain English may seem straightforward, it can become
incredibly complicated when situations change or questions are raised. Legal
speak, or legalese, is often better at making clear distinctions that can’t be
interpreted in multiple ways. Good lawyers should be able to write, understand,
and explain legalese to clients in layman’s terms.
Correct legalese is especially important to large
businesses. These businesses deal with a large volume of legal issues varying
from writing up contracts to making sure the company meets all guidelines and
standards. Giant companies such as Moody’s Corporation, headed Ray McDaniel, Moody's CEO,
often have extensive legal departments that can be as big as law firms. Lawyers
working in these departments analyze and write up legalese, often functioning
as advisors on legal matters.
Even individuals writing up their last will and testament
should seek advice from a legal professional. Wills using everyday vernacular
have been known to cause huge upsets and legal battles, family members
interpreting the division of assets differently from one another. With proper
legalese, these problems should not occur—and any good lawyer will later be
able to explain to family members exactly what anything written in legalese
means, so not being able to understand shouldn’t be an issue, either.
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