Contracts, Language and Making a Fetish of Archaic Style

I really admire AdamsDrafting Blog and Mr. Adams sane approach to drafting contracts.

What to Do When the Other Side Wants to Change Your MSCD-Compliant Language may lack a punch of some other posts but it brings to mind similar discussions:

But that said, it’s likely that anyone who’s a mindless slave to traditional usages will, on reviewing an MSCD-compliant draft, instinctively seek to change the language back to what they’re used to. I don’t know how often that happens—I’d be interested to hear, dear readers, what your experience has been.

An obvious response would be to tell anyone requesting changes that you’re only going to consider changes that have a bearing on meaning, and that nothing would be gained by racking up lawyer time discussing stylistic changes. It’s standard deal etiquette that you stick with the drafter’s language unless you have good reason for asking for a change.

I think too many clients think that a contract not overflowing with legalisms (and especially archaic legalisms) must be necessarily shoddy when the opposite is true.

A contract should say what it means in language that all understand so all know what is required of them.

And for those who think anyone can write any contract, please understand plain English contracts are harder than one might think. Those who think so might just think that parodying Ernest Hemingway is also an easy task when it is not.

Those interested in contracts need to keep an eye on the Adams Drafting Blog.