Writing legal texts in plain language is somewhat hard. Especially if you are non-native English speaker like me – I just spent 14 years learning all those amazing expressions and now I am not supposed to use them?
Plus as Shannon Salter noted during my time at Bucerius, we are worried that if we use plain language, people are not going to think we are smart. This is a pain for a lot of lawyers, because nothing makes us feel more sophisticated than Latin (fan of the Onion brief, anyone?)
But if we are making law better and more accessible, plain language is key.
So what can you do to make your legal texts stand out and be loved by your readers?
Basic plain language tips
This is a checklist that you can print out and keep in front of you – make sure to go through it before you hit send!
Use tools to improve your writing
There is tech and then there are techniques. Don’t shy away from getting help whenever possible. Your text does not exist in isolation, your writing shouldn’t either.
Pro tips
These are great if you are producing a lot of text all the time – try incorporating one or more of these techniques as your habits into your practice.
Final remarks
Plain language is not always easy, but it is almost always worth it.
Always, always, always remember your user a why you are writing in the first place.
It is the first step of optimising your work for your user. If you think that you have mastered it and want to take the design of your communication further, check out my introduction to legal design here.
Now it’s your turn.
What are your tips? Do you believe in writing in plain language?
Got anything else to add? Let me know in the comments.
Until next time,
Baru
