Legal Document Drafting
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What is Legal Document Drafting?
If you’ve ever signed a lease or purchased a car before, you’ve probably signed a contract. Have you ever wondered where all that legal talk that you’re supposed to read comes from? We have the answer for you: legal document drafting.
Legal document drafting is a task that involves writing documents to be used for legal purposes. While there are document templates that can make the process of creating them simpler, each legal document has unique qualities that make it custom-tailored to the situation it is meant to address. The drafting stage of a document involves crafting the clauses, provisions, terms and conditions, and more.
In the next sections, you will learn about the common types of legal documents, how to draft them, and what rules you need to follow while you do it.
Common Types of Legal Documents
There is a legal document out there for almost any agreement that you can think of. Think about every agreement that you have ever put your signature on. That was a legal document!
A legal document can fall under one of three categories: an instrument, a pleading, or a general legal document.
Examples of legal instruments include:
- Last will and testaments
- Mortgages
- Deeds
- Car notes
- Contracts
- Written agreements
Examples of legal pleadings include:
- Legal complaints (for use in the courtroom)
- Legal answers (for use in the courtroom)
Examples of general legal documents include:
- Police reports
- Photographs
- Letters
Check out this webpage to learn more about the different types of legal documents.
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How to Draft Legal Documents
The good news about legal document drafting is that it is very rarely done from scratch. Most of the time, contract lawyers use contract templates and other assistive tools to help them in their legal drafting . These templates are often publicly accessible, but sometimes are owned by the lawyer’s firm.
Legal document drafting is as easy as having the information you need to fill in the blank spaces on a legal template in most cases. Here is a simple four step process that you can use to draft legal documents:
Step One: Plan Your Document
The first step to tackling any big job is to have a game plan, and drafting legal documents is no exception. Before you can draft the document, you must plan it out. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Know your audience : A legal document drafted for a business partner versus one drafted for an employee is going to be different. Write using language that your audience will understand.
- State the purpose : Each document you draft has a specific purpose. Be sure that purpose is clearly stated somewhere in the document.
- Gather the details : Before you can draft your document, you need all the pertinent information in front of you. Gather all these details, such as information, facts, statements, and evidence for your document ahead of time.
- Have a timeline : The best way you can ensure you are successful is to create a timeline for yourself. Have a plan for when you will complete each section to hold yourself accountable and make sure you are not rushed to complete the document before your deadline. Keep in mind that you may need to revise and edit the document before the final product is done, so allow time for that.
- Consider hiring a lawyer : When it comes to drafting legal documents, there isn’t much room for error. Working with a professional contracts lawyer ensures that your legal document is sound.
Step Two: Make it Easy to Read
It’s already hard enough for many people to get through the legal aspects of a legal document. The last thing you want to do is make it even more difficult by throwing too much legal jargon around.
Another thing you can do to make your document easy to read is to mind the formatting. If there are certain sections that you know are more important, you can bold their titles or highlight certain areas to draw attention to them.
This makes it easier for the signing party to get the information they need out of the contract without wasting too much time reading the technical aspects of it.
Step Three: Keep it Concise
Since legal documents need to be so well-thought-out and accurate, it can be tempting to include unnecessary information to err on the side of caution. Unfortunately, adding too many footnotes or placing the same information multiple times throughout the document can be distracting.
Remember to keep your language as concise as possible. Most legal documents are long enough – they don’t need any extra help being time-consuming to read.
Step Four: Complete a Contract Review
Once you complete your legal document, do a contract review . Make note of any spelling or grammatical errors and if you find an area where you didn’t include something important, go back and change it. It’s always a good idea to have a few different opinions at this step, so don’t be afraid to ask others to review your work and give their notes on it, as well.
Quick Tips
While you are drafting legal documents, here are a few things you can keep in mind to help the process go more smoothly:
- Pay attention to your language . Sentences should be as clear and concise as possible and should be written in plain English.
- Watch your grammar usage . A legal document riddled with poor grammar not only looks unprofessional, but it could also be unusable in court.
- Accuracy is key. It is vital that you make sure the information in your legal document is as accurate as possible. You must go the extra mile and research when needed.
Basic Rules of Legal Document Drafting
Legal document drafting is a structured process that must follow certain rules. Since these documents must stand up in court, it’s vital to follow a few basic rules when it comes to the drafting of legal documents:
- Write in active voice
- Use letter-sized paper (8.5x11) – sometimes legal-sized paper depending on the document
- Use a traditional font
- Use 1-1.5-inch margins to make text easy to read
- Legal documents must contain captions, headings, signature lines, space for notary, space for attorneys to sign
Learn more the rules of legal document drafting by checking out this article .
Legal Document Drafting Fees
The below legal document drafting fee data comes from ContractsCounsel’s marketplace. The table includes 12 popular legal document drafting projects.
| Document Type | Bid Avg | Project Avg |
| Service Contract | $650 | $505 |
| Partnership Agreement | $875 | $625 |
| Single-Member Operating Agreement | $525 | $450 |
| Multi-Member Operating Agreement | $1,100 | $950 |
| SaaS Agreement | $850 | $725 |
| Terms of Service | $845 | $450 |
| Privacy Policy | $500 | $450 |
| Employment Contract | $650 | $500 |
| Consulting Agreement | $650 | $450 |
| Contractor Agreement | $650 | $450 |
| Convertible Note | $650 | $550 |
| Promissory Note | $695 | $550 |
All data is flat-fee (not hourly), so the pricing you see below is the total to complete a project. Please note, pricing for drafting can vary based on document type, number of custom terms, and number of revisions needed. The above pricing table includes averages.
Who Provides Legal Document Drafting Services?
If you need legal document drafting services but you’re not sure where to start, we have good news for you: contract lawyers can help. Whether you need assistance setting up a contract template or you want to hire someone who knows how to write a business contract, they are perfect for the job. It’s always a good idea to get the help of a professional, especially when it comes to highly technical documents like legal agreements.
Post a project on ContractsCounsel today to connect with contract lawyers who specialize in drafting legal documents today.
ContractsCounsel is not a law firm, and this post should not be considered and does not contain legal advice. To ensure the information and advice in this post are correct, sufficient, and appropriate for your situation, please consult a licensed attorney. Also, using or accessing ContractsCounsel's site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and ContractsCounsel.
How To Get Quotes For Legal Document Drafting
Meet some of our Legal Document Drafting Lawyers
Erdal T.
Erdal Turnacioglu of Erdal Employment Law focuses on providing employment solutions to both employees and businesses, whether through litigation, review of employee handbooks, workplace investigations, or training seminars.
"Erdal was a pleasure to work with. He was quick to respond to any questions or concerns I had."
Charlton M.
Charlton Messer helps businesses and their owners with general counsel and contract drafting services. He has helped over 500 businesses with their legal needs across a variety of industries in nearly a decade of practice.
"I am so happy with my decision to hire Charlton. Not only was he responsive and timely, he laid everything out for me in terms that I could understand. I would recommend him to anyone and will be working with him for all of my future needs!"
Dan "Dragan" I.
I received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Northwestern University in 1996 and then got my JD at University of Illinois College of Law in 1999. I have been a lawyer helping people with legal issues in the United States and Internationally since then. That includes drafting and reviewing contracts. I am also passionate about helping small and medium businesses with trademark registration and trademark-related legal projects. The law can be confusing and complicated for people, and I am passionate about providing professional legal services to my clients while simultaneously making the legal process less confusing and stressful for them. My goal is to help clients navigate through both good and difficult times by tailoring my skills, experience, and services to their specific needs.
"Extremely helpful and prompt with responses. Offers unlimited advice even after the project ends."
Michael M.
www.linkedin/in/michaelbmiller I am an experienced contracts professional having practiced nearly 3 decades in the areas of corporate, mergers and acquisitions, technology, start-up, intellectual property, real estate, employment law as well as informal dispute resolution. I enjoy providing a cost effective, high quality, timely solution with patience and empathy regarding client needs. I graduated from NYU Law School and attended Rutgers College and the London School of Economics as an undergraduate. I have worked at top Wall Street firms, top regional firms and have long term experience in my own practice. I would welcome the opportunity to be of service to you as a trusted fiduciary. In 2022 and 2023, I was the top ranked attorney on the Contract Counsel site based upon number of clients, quality of work and number of 5 Star reviews.
"Michael's expertise and judgment impressed me. I brought him in for contract advisory work, and he quickly asked the questions I hadn't considered, identified the risks that mattered, and set aside the ones I had wrongly prioritized. He changed how I understood the contract. He is an excellent advisor - highly recommended."
Spencer R.
I am an experienced attorney working in New York specializing in executive compensation/severance arrangements, transactional real estate work, tax structuring and contracts.
"I will use Spencer in the future for my future contract needs. Nice guy and personable. Love workiing with him. Got right down to business immediately."
September 8, 2022
Tiffanie W.
Tiffanie Wilson is a business transactions and personal injury lawyer. She helps clients realize their business goals by expertly drafting contracts, providing sound legal advice, and working for justice for injured clients.
September 6, 2022
Daniel F.
An experienced attorney with a varied range of legal abilities. Focusing on real estate transactions and general commercial litigation.
Doug F.
Doug has over 20 years of private and public company general counsel experience focusing his legal practice on commercial transactions including both software and biotech. He is a tech savvy, business savvy lawyer who is responsive and will attain relationship building outcomes with your counterparty while effectively managing key risks and accelerating revenue. He received his Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law earning the Book Award in Professional Ethics and after graduation he taught legal writing there for a number of years. Prior to law school, Doug earned a M.A in Mathematics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a B.S in Honors Mathematics at Purdue University. After law school, Doug joined Fish & Richardson, where his practice focused on licensing software, trademarks and biotech. While at Fish & Richardson Doug authored a book on software licensing published by the American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association. Later he joined as General Counsel at FTP Software and led an IPO as well as corporate development. Doug has broad experience with a broad range of commercial agreement drafting and negotiation including SaaS software and professional services, distribution and other channel agreements, joint venture and M&A. Doug continued his leadership, corporate governance and commercial transaction practice at Mercury Computers (NASDAQ:MRCY) leading corporate development. Doug’s experience ranges from enterprise software to biotech and other vertical markets. He joined the board of Deque Systems in 2009 and joined in an operating role as President in 2020 successfully scaling the software business.
September 13, 2022
Kathryn K.
I’m a Georgetown Law graduate with over 15 years of experience providing legal support to small businesses, helping them with all their contracting needs. Whether it’s services agreements, employment contracts, influencer agreements, privacy policies, or other essential business contracts, I specialize in ensuring that your agreements are clear, fair, and legally sound. I have significant experience in Master Services Agreements (MSAs), especially for SaaS companies, as well as NDAs, non-compete/non-solicitation agreements, and commercial leases. Additionally, I’ve drafted Terms of Service, Acceptable Use Policies, and Privacy Policies for businesses across multiple industries. My work is focused on giving small businesses access to world-class legal advice without the hefty price tag. Before opening my own practice, I spent four years at one of the most prestigious law firms in the world, gaining valuable experience in appellate litigation. I also worked with the federal government and at a leading government contracts firm, representing large clients such as Fortune 500 companies and the Department of Defense. Despite this background, my passion lies in working with startups and small businesses. Having owned and operated three businesses myself (my law firm and two outside the legal field), I understand the unique challenges that entrepreneurs and small business owners face. I offer practical, affordable, and strategic legal solutions to help you focus on what you do best—running your business. I’m based in Boulder, CO, but I proudly represent clients nationwide. I’m dedicated to making sure your business is protected with the right contracts and policies in place, so you can grow confidently.
September 12, 2022
Wendy C.
Business Advisor and Real Estate Consultant: Small boutique firm working to assist entrepreneurs, business start-ups, property investors, new home buyers, and distressed owners Wendy Calvert began her career as a corporate attorney focusing on complex commercial litigation, primarily in construction, property and casualty, and contractor liability. Through this experience, Wendy has managed and successfully litigated cases in Illinois and Wisconsin. In 2004, Wendy relocated to Illinois to work as an insurance litigation counsel and later as an executive sales consultant and insurance expert. Wendy now utilizes her skills as a contract negotiator, litigator, and sales consultant to negotiate real estate deals and help entrepreneurs create and grow the businesses of their dreams. EDUCATION Wendy earned her Juris Doctor in 1999 from the University of Wisconsin Madison. In 1989, Wendy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Communications from Marquette University.
Max L.
Hi there. My practice focuses on several aspects of business law, including business entity formation and organizational documents, trademark and copyright, tax disputes, and contracts. I work with quite a few creative entrepreneurs, such as photographers, artists, and musicians.
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