Module 4
Finding and removing ambiguity: kinds of ambiguity, vague words and when vagueness is wise, and ways to test a draft
A clause is ambiguous when a careful reader can reasonably take it in two or more ways that lead to different results. Ambiguity is the drafter’s main enemy: it turns a document into a dispute. It is also hard to see from the inside, because the drafter reads the clause with the intended meaning already in mind. This module separates ambiguity from vagueness and generality, describes the usual kinds with examples, explains how courts tend to approach unclear wording and, above all, gives practical ways to find ambiguity before the other side does.
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See what is included in All-Access →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.
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