This one smells quite nice, actually
It's only a copy draft, probably done by the trainee, and it's on nice blue paper. I am disturbed by a total lack of punctuation, however.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Thu 13 Oct 2011, 12:05, 1 reply, 14 years ago)

that's perfectly normal in legal docs
it's because commas or similar can lead to arguments over interpretation.

eg i have one at the moment where it clearly means: rent payable monthly on the last day of each calendar month. if you fail to pay it the whole quarter falls due with interest being calculated from the relevant quarter date.

the fact that the dumbass who drafted it put commas around the "with interest" means that the other side are now arguing that the whole rent is calculated from the quarter date, not just the interest. this is very important as to who is liable for payment, given what happened between the quarter date and the last date of the month. and the rent at stake is £1,375,000.

if there had been no commas, they could have had no argument...
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 13 Oct 2011, 12:08, Reply)

I'm 22 pages in to a 31 page document
and to be fair, if they weren't making sure they had EVERY eventuality covered, it could have been done in about five.

And the only way I can tell there's a new sentence is the random capitalisation.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Thu 13 Oct 2011, 12:12, Reply)

that's what we do! my colleague charges £415 to cover every eventuality
and then when it goes wrong a different colleague charges £415 to find the one eventuality that wasn't covered...
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 13 Oct 2011, 12:20, Reply)

Hey! I've just learned a new word!
Messuage - I intend to use it more in conversation.

Messuage. It sounds weird.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Thu 13 Oct 2011, 12:27, Reply)