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Full-Text Articles in Contracts
Debunking The Efficacy Of Standard Contract Boilerplate: Part Iii, David Spratt
Debunking The Efficacy Of Standard Contract Boilerplate: Part Iii, David Spratt
Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals
There are several things wrong with this paragraph. First, the heading "Knowledge of Residence" is underinclusive, as the paragraph concerns more than where each party lives. A more inclusive and effective heading would be "Knowledge of Contact Information." Second, the introductory phrase is ambiguous, as one could read "for so long as the minor children are less than eighteen years of age" as requiring the parties to exchange information only until one of the parties' children turns 18. Moreover, "eighteen years of age" is archaic and clunky legalese. Keep it simple, solicitors: "eighteen" or "age eighteen" would suffice. Applying these …
Improve Recitals And Consideration Clauses With Plain Language, David Spratt
Improve Recitals And Consideration Clauses With Plain Language, David Spratt
Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals
As used in a "WHEREAS" clause, the term "whereas" simply means "considering that" or "that being the case." There is no legal effect to the word "whereas." It, like many other words used in standard contract boilerplate, is left over from some long-forgotten era of legal writing when lawyers used big words and legalese to impress clients with their intelligence and to justify their bills. These times have (or at least should have) passed. Today, documents must be accessible to those who use them: in most cases the clients for whom such documents are drafted.