Overview

This Eversheds guide to legal drafting in English is not a dictionary, grammar book or academic tome. Neither is it a comprehensive look at aspects of English in a legal context. Instead, it is an attempt to provide some practical assistance to busy lawyers around the world whose native language is not English but who, in the course of their daily work, need to read, write, negotiate and converse in “legal English”.

In comparing “legal English” to many other legal languages it seems quite clear that English has by far the most terms that, for historical reasons, are mismatched and misleading. An enormous number of words and phrases used in legal English have multiple and misleading meanings which seem designed to confuse non-English speakers.

The guide highlights common problems and things to watch out for, as well as examining some error patterns that will help you to sense when you may need to use a word or phrase with extra caution or should simply seek an alternative one. The pages include some false friends you need to watch out for and mistakes to avoid. There is also a Bibliography, suggesting some reference materials suitable for more detailed study.