Legal documents must follow certain principles to be clear, concise and avoid errors. 1) Use active voice to make sentences short and fix responsibility. 2) Avoid lengthy phrases and use concrete words. 3) Limit use of "shall" and instead use "must" for obligations and "will" for future actions. 4) Remove redundancies which make the document sound unprofessional. 5) Proofread to avoid errors in grammar, spelling or punctuation. 6) Use courteous, diplomatic language without assumptions about age, gender or other attributes. 7) Always cite facts to make the writing sincere.