"The antecedent stated forthwith that the aforementioned suspect, who was seen in the vicinity on or about the 8th of May, 2004, was granted a mea culpa writ" That sentence almost seems to be written in some language other than English, doesn't it? Furthermore, it actually is nonsense because it's simply a collection of confusing legal terminology all spliced together as an example. However, by following a few basic steps, you can learn to decode even nonsensical, ridiculous legal terminology like that found in the above example.

Step 1:

Bring your dictionary. This is an essential part of decoding the archaic terminology that you'll find in any legal document. One of the first things you should do is look up any words you don't understand, then cross those words out and jot down other, less difficult words that you do know in their place. This may include looking up some phrases in Latin.

Step 2:

Break the legal document into its constituent parts. You probably already have some beginning knowledge of what the document and its legal terminology is all about. Keep that in mind while trying to decode it.

Step 3:

Rewrite the legal document in an easier-to-follow format. Remove complex sentences and unnecessary clauses. This will allow you to easily digest the terminology and the document as a whole.

Step 4:

Review the new, less complicated document that you have created. If its meaning still eludes you, keep trying to simplify things and work at any other way you can think of to decode it. Legal terminology can be difficult, but with continued persistence you'll eventually grasp the meaning of every last word.

Translation:

Once you've effectively decoded it from a legal document, the prior example that's found at the beginning of this article might read:

"The heir stated immediately that the previously mentioned suspect, who was seen in the area around May 8th, 2004, received a document that was an admission of guilt"

Warning:

Do not, under any circumstance, make any vital legal decisions by way of utilizing your own legal analysis of a document. The information in this article is only meant as a guide to help those who seek to better understand documents and legal terminology. There is no real substitute, however, for having a true legal professional peruse the document and give their expert advice on the matter.

Learn more about this author, Geoff Weed.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

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