Module 6

Documents and their purposes: contracts, statutes and regulations, letters and notices, pleadings and wills compared

The previous modules gave habits that apply to every legal document: write for the reader, structure for the search, use clear sentences, remove ambiguity and keep terms consistent. But documents differ in purpose, and purpose changes what matters most. A contract is read by two parties who know each other; a statute is read by millions of strangers; a notice must be understood by one person on one day; a pleading follows the court’s rules; a will must work when nobody can ask the writer what was meant. This module compares five kinds of document and gives the questions to ask for each. It is an introduction: every kind has formalities, local rules and professional standards that must be learned for the place where it will be used.

General education on drafting legal documents, using invented people, businesses, documents and statutes. It is not legal advice, it does not state the law of any country and it is not a substitute for the formalities, forms and professional rules of the place where a document will be used. Never rely on it to make a will, a power of attorney or any document with serious consequences without qualified advice.