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Simple English definitions for legal terms
legalese
Read a random definition: National Firearms Act
A quick definition of legalese:
Legalese is a way of writing and speaking that lawyers and legal documents use. It is very hard for most people to understand because it uses long, complicated sentences and old-fashioned words. Some people think that using legalese makes lawyers seem important and helps them keep their jobs. Others think that it is better to use simple, easy-to-understand language so that everyone can understand what is going on. Some legal writing classes are now teaching lawyers to use plain English instead of legalese.
A more thorough explanation:
Legalese is a type of language used by people in the legal field and in legal documents. It is often difficult for the general public to understand because it uses complicated sentence structures, old-fashioned words, and Latin phrases.
For example, a sentence in legalese might look like this: "The party of the first part hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the party of the second part."
This sentence could be simplified to: "The first party agrees to protect and not blame the second party."
Some people in the legal field believe that using legalese makes their job seem more important and impresses clients. However, others argue that using plain and simple language is better because it allows everyone to understand legal documents without having to hire a lawyer.