Distribute Numbers Contract For Free

Unless an article consists of one section only, each section should be numbered. Do not place the word Section in front of each section number.

For a contract to be valid and recognized by the common law, it must include certain elements? offer, acceptance, consideration, intention to create legal relations, authority and capacity, and certainty.

But did you ever wonder why people write that way? The redundancy is presumably intended to reduce typos, forgery, or to make the document as clear as possible.

You can number sections consecutively (i.e. 1., 2., 3. or (1), (2), (3)) or you can number the articles and sections using a multiple-numeration system (i.e. the sections of article 2 being numbered 2.1, 2.2, 2.3). Do not number sections 2.01, 2.02, 2.03, or 2.1., 2.2., 2.3. (with an extra full stop).

The general rule is that all numbers ten and below should be spelled out and numbers 11 and above should be put in numerals. However, there are certain exceptions to this: If numbers recur through the text or are being used for calculations, then numerals should be used.

Fortunately, the rules about numbers in writing are much easier ? and more scintillating ? than the definitions of words related to numbers. The Chicago Manual of Style, The Bluebook and the ALWD Guide to Legal Citation all suggest spelling out numbers from zero to ninety-nine.

The background of this is to increase certainty: by writing a number both in figures and in words, people believe that if a misprint (of the figure) appears in the final version, its expression in words should clarify what was actually agreed.

It is a common practice to number provisions in some way, in particular to make reference from one to another easier. But not all contracts include such internal references.

For whatever reason, when attorneys draft contracts they don't just write the numerals like regular people. Instead, attorneys typically write out numbers in words as well as add the numerals in parentheses. For example, instead of writing ?45 days?, an attorney would write ?forty-five (45) days?.

If the number is approximate (e.g. 'around six hundred years ago') it should be spelled out. Very large numbers should generally be expressed without using rows of zeros where possible (e.g. $3.5 million instead of $3,500,000). In contracts, the use of both words and numbers is common in order to increase certainty.