Lawyers around the world increasingly work in English, especially in international transactions, arbitration, and cross-border litigation. However, many international lawyers worry about making legal English grammar mistakes that make their writing sound unprofessional or unclear.
Legal English is already complex because it contains specialized vocabulary and formal structures. When grammar mistakes appear in contracts, emails, or legal memoranda, they can create confusion or make the lawyer appear less confident.
The good news is that most legal English grammar mistakes follow predictable patterns. Once you understand these common problems, you can easily avoid them and improve the clarity of your legal writing.
In this article, we examine 10 legal English grammar mistakes lawyers frequently make and explain how to correct them. The goal is to help international lawyers write more clearly and confidently in professional legal settings.
Why Avoiding Legal English Grammar Mistakes Matters
Clear writing is essential in legal practice. Lawyers must communicate complex ideas accurately and precisely. Grammar errors can create several problems.
First, grammar mistakes may make legal writing harder to understand. Judges, clients, and opposing counsel may struggle to interpret unclear sentences.
Second, grammar mistakes may affect professional credibility. Legal writing represents the lawyer’s competence and professionalism.
Finally, grammar mistakes can sometimes create ambiguity in contracts. Ambiguity means that a sentence can have more than one possible meaning.
For these reasons, avoiding legal English grammar mistakes is an important skill for international lawyers.
1. Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement
One of the most common legal English grammar mistakes involves subject-verb agreement. This means the verb must match the subject in number (singular or plural).
Incorrect
The terms of the agreement is binding.
Correct
The terms of the agreement are binding.
Here, the subject is terms, which is plural. Therefore the verb must also be plural.
Tip
Identify the main subject before choosing the verb.
2. Confusing “Shall,” “Must,” and “Will”
Legal English frequently uses the word shall, but many lawyers misuse it.
Incorrect
The parties shall attempt to negotiate in good faith.
Better
The parties must attempt to negotiate in good faith.
Modern legal drafting often prefers must because it clearly expresses obligation.
General guideline
must = obligation
will = future action
shall = sometimes used in traditional contracts
Misusing these words is one of the most common legal English grammar mistakes.
3. Overly Long Sentences
Legal writing often contains long sentences with many clauses. While complex sentences are sometimes necessary, excessively long sentences reduce clarity.
Example
The Seller shall deliver the goods to the Buyer within thirty days following receipt of written confirmation provided that all required documentation has been submitted.
A clearer version might divide this into two sentences.
Better
The Seller shall deliver the goods within thirty days after receiving written confirmation. All required documentation must be submitted beforehand.
Breaking long sentences improves readability and avoids common legal English grammar mistakes.
4. Misusing Articles (a, an, the)
Articles are difficult for many ESL lawyers because many languages do not use them.
Incorrect
Client signed agreement yesterday.
Correct
The client signed the agreement yesterday.
Articles help clarify meaning and identify specific objects.
Another example:
Incorrect
Lawyer prepared contract.
Correct
The lawyer prepared the contract.
Incorrect article usage is one of the most frequent legal English grammar mistakes among international lawyers.
5. Confusing Similar Legal Terms
Some English words look similar but have different meanings.
Example
Advice vs Advise
Incorrect:
The lawyer will advice the client.
Correct:
The lawyer will advise the client.
Explanation:
Advise = verb (to give guidance)
Advice = noun (guidance)
Mistakes like this may appear small, but they can affect professional credibility.
6. Incorrect Prepositions
Prepositions are small words like to, for, of, and with. They are often difficult for non-native speakers.
Incorrect
The client agreed for the terms.
Correct
The client agreed to the terms.
Another example:
Incorrect
The contract provides for compensation to the buyer.
Actually this one may be correct, but the structure must be understood carefully.
Preposition mistakes are a common type of legal English grammar mistakes.
7. Double Negatives
A double negative occurs when two negative words appear in the same sentence. This can make meaning unclear.
Incorrect
The party shall not fail to comply with the agreement.
Clearer
The party must comply with the agreement.
Avoiding double negatives improves clarity and reduces confusion.
8. Inconsistent Terminology
Legal documents must use consistent terminology.
For example, a contract may refer to:
Buyer
Purchaser
Customer
If these words refer to the same party, using all three may confuse readers.
Better approach
Define one term and use it consistently.
Example:
“Buyer” means ABC Corporation.
After defining the term, use Buyer throughout the contract.
9. Incorrect Use of Capitalization
Contracts often capitalize defined terms.
Example:
“Agreement” means this Service Agreement.
However, lawyers sometimes capitalize words unnecessarily.
Incorrect
The Parties agree to cooperate in Good Faith.
Correct
The parties agree to cooperate in good faith.
Excessive capitalization is another common legal English grammar mistake.
10. Missing or Incorrect Punctuation
Punctuation plays an important role in legal writing.
Example:
Incorrect
The supplier shall deliver the goods the buyer shall inspect them.
Correct
The supplier shall deliver the goods, and the buyer shall inspect them.
Proper punctuation improves clarity and prevents misinterpretation.
In some cases, punctuation errors can even affect legal interpretation.
How Lawyers Can Improve Legal English Grammar
Improving grammar does not require perfect English. Instead, lawyers should focus on clarity and consistency.
Here are some practical strategies.
Read legal writing regularly
Exposure to well-written contracts and legal articles improves language awareness.
Edit carefully
Always review important documents before sending them to clients or colleagues.
Use simple language
Clear writing is more important than complicated language.
Read your text aloud
If a sentence sounds confusing when spoken, it probably needs revision.
By following these strategies, lawyers can reduce legal English grammar mistakes and improve professional communication.
Final Thoughts
Legal writing requires precision, clarity, and professionalism. Grammar mistakes may appear small, but they can affect how others perceive a lawyer’s competence.
Fortunately, most legal English grammar mistakes are easy to identify and correct once you understand the patterns.
By focusing on clear sentence structure, correct verb usage, consistent terminology, and proper punctuation, international lawyers can greatly improve their legal writing.
With practice, your legal English will become clearer, more professional, and more persuasive.
Legal English Lexicon
Ambiguity
A situation where a word or sentence has more than one possible meaning.
Article
A small word such as a, an, or the used before nouns.
Clause
A specific section of a legal document.
Defined term
A word or phrase in a contract that has a specific meaning explained in the document.
Double negative
A sentence that uses two negative words, which can create confusion.
Obligation
A legal duty to perform a specific action.
Preposition
A small word such as to, of, for, or with used to connect words in a sentence.
Provision
A rule or requirement contained in a legal document.
Subject-verb agreement
A grammar rule requiring verbs to match the subject in number (singular or plural).
Terminology
The specialized vocabulary used in a particular profession or subject.
