LEGAL WRITING

IN PLAIN AND CLEAR LANGUAGE

CHAPTER 9

Ayanna Noelle H. Villanueva, Emma Paglala, Patrick Jan Diaz and Melanie Agamata
 LEGAL PHRASINGS

Generally considered: Legal phrasings are NOT

• Wordy ungrammatical and they
can be EASILY
• Outdated
understood when
• Unhelpful
addressed to fellow
lawyers or persons in the
legal field.
It is best to avoid the use of legal
words or phrases in order to write
PLAINLY and CLEARLY.
Examples:
LEGAL AFFECTATIONS PLAIN LANGUAGE
• Dispatch He was sent to fight in war.
He was dispatched to fight in war. • During
• For the duration of He was eating during his classes.
He was eating for the duration of his
classes.
• Very
• Extremely He was very nervous when the police
He was extremely nervous when the arrived.
police arrived.
• Send
Examples:
LEGAL AFFECTATIONS PLAIN LANGUAGE
• I would appreciate it if • Please
I would appreciate it if you pay me your Please pay me your debt on time.
debt on time.
• Notwithstanding • Despite
Notwithstanding his poverty, he managed Despite his poverty, he managed to graduate in
to graduate in college. college.
• Status quo • The existing state
They question the status quo of the They question the existing state of the
organization. organization.
Quiz: www.kahoot.it