Plain Language

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We are International experts on drafting legal documents in plain language or in plain English. We especially focus on the legal aspects of this.

We help people comply with laws that require plain language; manage the risks associated with legal documents; draft well-written legislation and other legal documents, and communicate clearly with their readers.

We do this by hosting workshops that train internal legal advisors on the principles of plain language law. We develop style guides to accommodate this new way of drafting. Among other things we host workshops that are designed to allay the concerns of colleagues who have not yet bought into this way of drafting in a legal context. Let us know how we can assist you.

We draft all our documents, guides and contracts in plain legal language and can quote to assist you to convert existing policies and contracts into plain language.

You can read our advice, or about the products or services we offer related to this focus area here or read on to enjoy our insights below,

Write like someone who isn’t a psychopath

(this piece is for: anyone writing a contract, but it’s useful for anyone negotiating one, too) I sometimes feel like people have put so many systems in place to be able to live our lives, that we forget that they’re [...]

By |2024-07-22T10:53:41+02:00July 19th, 2024|Categories: Contracts, Life@Law, Plain Language|Tags: , , , , |
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The difference between Appendices, Annexures and Schedules

What is the difference between a schedule and an annexure? Not much. Our preferred view is to refer to an appendix, annexure or addendum as an ‘attachment’ and make it clear from the wording in the agreement whether it is [...]

By |2024-08-14T12:35:14+02:00February 28th, 2024|Categories: Contracts, Plain Language|Tags: |
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National Wills Week | 11 – 15 September 2023

National Wills Week kicks off on 11 September 2023. Your last will and testament serve as the key tool in ensuring your wishes are carried out after you pass away. It determines the distribution of your belongings and property and [...]

By |2025-02-24T15:29:05+02:00September 6th, 2023|Categories: Life@Law, Plain Language|Tags: , , |
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Zendaya’s advice for avoiding legal traps: read those contracts!

Zendaya, the famous actor from the Spider-Man movies, recently reminded me that movie stars can give good legal advice. "Read those contracts," she said to a quietly astonished audience. I became very excited when I later came across her comments. [...]

By |2025-02-28T16:35:41+02:00March 28th, 2023|Categories: Contracts, Plain Language|Tags: , , , |
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Policy lifecycle management: how to manage policies smartly

Ever wondered how to manage policies better? I know I have. It turns out many people ask this question because policies are notoriously difficult to manage. But we have the best solution to this problem: policy lifecycle management. Yes, I [...]

By |2024-08-25T22:12:49+02:00March 16th, 2023|Categories: Governance, Plain Language, Policies|Tags: |
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A legal style guide | Why you need one & how to create it

A legal style guide is essential for any organisation that produces legal documents, whether contracts, briefs, or other legal materials. It ensures that an organisation’s legal documents are consistent and adhere to specific standards, which is essential for maintaining clear [...]

By |2024-08-25T22:13:50+02:00March 16th, 2023|Categories: Clear communications, Plain Language|
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Become a better writer by reading the Clarity book

Become a better writer by reading the new book aptly named - Become a Better Writer. It is written by Donald Powers and Greg Rosenberg from Clarity Global. I've just read it and I think it delivers on its [...]

By |2022-11-28T12:48:46+02:00February 20th, 2022|Categories: Life@Law, Plain Language|Tags: , , |
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Using personal pronouns in consumer and business contracts

Personal pronouns have become a cornerstone of plain language drafting. It has become accepted worldwide that it is better to use personal pronouns for consumer contracts. But what about contracts between businesses? We believe that they can sometimes help make [...]

By |2022-12-02T16:28:18+02:00August 12th, 2021|Categories: Plain Language|
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Prefer the active voice over the passive in legal documents

Lawyers should prefer the active voice over the passive in legal documents (like contracts, terms, opinions, laws, affidavits, and pleadings). Most writers follow this principle when they write. But lawyers often don't and they argue that legal documents are different [...]

By |2022-11-15T16:44:37+02:00July 23rd, 2021|Categories: Plain Language|
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How does an ordinary reader understand a contract

It looks like in the future courts will decide what a contract means based on what an ordinary reader understands it to mean, rather than by following the traditional laws and rules of interpretation. Article about interpretation Malcolm Wallis recently [...]

By |2022-12-13T14:16:20+02:00November 30th, 2019|Categories: Plain Language|Tags: , , , , , |
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Drafting and Interpretation of Statutes – Plain Language and Postmodernism

The drafting and interpretation of statutes is important because without them there would be no common understanding of what the rules are. South Africans are proud of having a democratic constitution. It is a legal guideline for right and wrong [...]

By |2019-02-22T16:51:23+02:00April 13th, 2016|Categories: Plain Language|Tags: , |
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