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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.
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.
How To Get Quotes For Legal Document Drafting
Meet some of our Legal Document Drafting Lawyers
Mariah M.
McGhee at Law is a purpose-driven law firm located in Indiana. We are focused on assisting Clients with creating opportunities of advancement. Our strategy is to assist, advise and support our Clients in fulfilling their vision for their personal lives and businesses through the practice of law.
Daniel D.
I was born and raised in Wayne, New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University, graduating cum laude. I followed my family down to Florida to attend Ave Maria School of Law where I graduated cum laude. I was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2018. During law school, I participated in the Certified Legal Internship program with the State Attorney's Office of the 20th Judicial Circuit and litigated 5 jury trials, 1 non jury trial and argued various motions before the court under the supervision of an Assistant State Attorney. I was an Assistant States Attorney for Collier County from 2018 to 2020 before moving into private practice in the areas of real estate and first party property from 2020 to 2021. As of November 2021, I started my own law practice that focuses on business planning, real estate and estate planning.
Vicki P.
Vicki graduated from Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1996. She is a licensed attorney. She has been admitted to Wisconsin since 1998 and Pennsylvania since 1999.
Joon H.
I work with private tech companies on entity formation, corporate governance, and commercial agreements. I was an in-house counsel for a unicorn fintech startup and am currently associated with a startup boutique while operating my solo practice. I received my JD from Berkeley Law, and served in the US Navy for 5 years as a combat linguist. I am fluent in Korean.
July 2, 2023
Suzanne E.
I have been an attorney for 30 years. I am a Colorado native with many years in Alaska. I have a Bachelors in Biology, Chemistry and French, JD from Seattle University and Masters in Environmental Science and Law from Vermont Law School. I have traveled extensively, mostly in Europe, and speak several languages with more or less proficiency. I practiced law in Alaska and Colorado, much of it in remote areas but also large cities. I have taught in an environmental masters program and run large environmental nonprofits and a hot springs resort. I have worked with and run business incubators, a process I love. Empowering people to build their own futures is a passion.
June 28, 2023
Whitney S.
Whitney L. Smith's journey from entrepreneur to advocate is fueled by a profound understanding of the business world. With a decade of firsthand entrepreneurial experience, she entered law school driven by a mission to protect others' businesses. However, her passion for real estate law blossomed as she recognized the tremendous benefits rental property ownership offers to individuals seeking passive income and community development. Blending her deep understanding of transactional law with zealous courtroom advocacy, she empowers landlords to thrive. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, she is a proud graduate of Stetson College of Law and cherishes her role as a devoted parent to two children and a beloved pit bull companion.
June 29, 2023
John V.
Business, Real Estate, Tax, Estate Planning and Probate attorney with over 20 years experience in private practice in Colorado. Currently owner/operator of John M. Vaughan, Attorney at Law solo practitioner located in Boulder, CO. My practice focuses on transactional matters only.
June 30, 2023
Mark M.
I have 20-plus years of experience as a corporate general counsel, for public and private corporations, domestic and international. I have acted as corporate secretary for a publicly-held corporation and have substantial experience in corporate finance, M&A, corporate governance, incorporations, corporate maintenance, complex transactions, corporate termination and restructuring, as well as numerous aspects of regulatory and financial due diligence. In my various corporate roles, I have routinely drafted complex corporate contracts and deal-related documents such as stock purchase agreements, option and warrant agreements, MSAs, SOWs, term sheets, joint venture agreements, tender agreements purchase and sale agreements, technology licensing agreements, vendor agreements, service agreements, IP and technology security agreements, NDAs, etc. and have managed from both a legal and business perspective many projects in the financial, technology, energy and venture capital fields.
August 9, 2023
Daniel K.
My practice focuses on business and commercial litigation. I have worked with companies of all sizes from sole member LLCs to those in the Fortune 500. I've advised clients on mergers, equity issuances, commercial transactions, joint ventures, employment issues, and non-competition. I've also drafted and negotiated the underlying agreements for these transactions and more.
July 2, 2023
Thomas B.
Accomplished Attorney with 33 years of experience assisting clients with their legal needs, including reviewing and drafting of various contracts and agreements.
July 2, 2023
George K.
I've represented small, medium, and Fortune 500 companies in business and litigation matters over the past twenty years. Working for various clients exposed me to a wide range of practice areas and issues. I now manage and own my firm. Contract review and drafting, negotiating agreements and settlements, and defending a variety of lawsuits is the heart of my practice. I'm efficient, solution driven, and work well with clients, other parties, and opposing counsel. I was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award in Advanced Legal Writing and am an excellent writer. I'm also the recipient of the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award and the ABA Military Pro Bono Project Outstanding Services Award. I'm a Marine Corps veteran. My attitude, experience, and expertise will help you achieve your goals.
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