How to Write the Date in a Legal Document

Under modern rules, few, if any, states restrict the way you write data in legal documents, except that you require standard U.S. use: the first month, the second day, and the last year. Some lawyers write the month and use numbers for the day and year, while others use all the numerical numbers. The spelling of the month eliminates confusion when it comes to other countries where the day comes first. As long as the intention is clear, all forms are acceptable. Standard form documents usually leave a space for the date that needs to be completed by the person filling out the form. ANSWER: It`s better without the th. An ordinal number indicates the position in a line (e.B. first, second, fifteenth) and should not be used when writing a date. Each of these forms is correct: May 29, 2013 (the American method); 29.

May 2013 (military or British method); or May 29, 2013 (acceptable but old-fashioned). Let`s say you dated a document on 16.1.20. This simple abbreviation can make you vulnerable to fraud, for example in the area of checks and debts. Write the date correctly and correctly on a legal document for several reasons. Documents are meant to show intent, information, or contracts, and so the date these things take place is extremely important. For example, an incorrect or misplaced date in a purchase agreement could invalidate the transaction. The practice of writing a date in numbers and letters and attaching a form in parentheses should only be used in contracts and similar legal documents. If such a “lawyer`s German” is needed, these forms can be used: it is especially important to remember this difference, where month and day can be confused. For example, 3/5/16 would be March 5, 2016 in Australia, but May 3, 2016 in America. To avoid confusion, it is best to write the date in full (p.B March 5, 2016) when signing a document in which other countries are or may be involved. Typically, abbreviated versions of words are much less formal, and this includes dates. In a less formal situation, you can use numbers or abbreviations for months.

However, if you write the date in a scientific article or other formal situation, you need to spell the words. Shelley Loverign, a clerk in Aberdeen, South Dakota, says that to get rid of any confusion about the data, you must first write the date in numbers, like February 21, 2009, and then in words like twenty-one February, two thousand nine. This clearly indicates the date on the document. Dates are sometimes written in words rather than numbers. Such use is mainly observed in creative writing and legal documents. Spell the day and month, but use numbers for the year. Style guides differ in their recommendations as to whether numbers should be written in numbers or words. Numbers below 10 are usually advertised.

The Chicago Manual of Style also recommends writing two-digit numbers, while the AP Stylebook and APA Publication Manual suggest using numbers for numbers 10 and above. If the date is written in the agenda-month-year, no comma is required before, after or between the date components: it is also worth remembering that the United States uses numerical date abbreviations differently from Australians (and most other countries in the world). Americans use a month-day-year format, while we use day-month-year. The United States is one of the few places in the world to use this date format. Belize and Micronesia also use this format and is secondary to Canada and the Philippines. The rest of the world has a different order. The date on legal documents is very important, and you need to write it correctly so that there is no chance that the document will not survive the legal review. In a less formal spelling, or if the date is not part of the main text of a document, you can shorten the month to save space. For example, “August 20, 2019” could be abbreviated to “August 20, 2019.” The same can be done with days (for example.B. “Tuesday” becomes “Tuesday”). It`s easy not to know how to write the date in different situations. Whether you need to write the date in a formal letter or put a date on your wedding invitation, these guidelines can help you get it right.

It`s also helpful to learn how people around the world write today`s date in numbers. For example, “4/10/2019” would refer to April 10 in the US, but October 4 in the UK or France. So be sure to check the date format used when dealing with other countries, otherwise you could be very early or very late for appointments in Europe! If the years are abbreviated, use an apostrophe: class of `99; Flood of `05 (but is it 1905 or 2005?). If decades are mentioned, write the word completely (the twenties) or add an s to the number; Note that The Canadian Style recommends forms without apostrophes (1960s, 70s), but other style guides consider apostrophe optional (1940s or 90s). When decades are labeled with special nicknames, both words are capitalized: the Roaring Twenties, the dirty thirties, the sixties. Centuries are designated in lower case: the British date format is day-month-year. The day and year are written in numbers, and the month is written. No comma is required between month and year. This system is also followed in large parts of Europe and the rest of the world. It is a long-standing and very effective system. But in 2020, we have an additional problem.

Consider the date of January 16, 2020. If we had to abbreviate, it would be 16/1/20. It is fair to say that these methods are interchangeable. If you are writing a scientific article, you should consult your professor`s preferred citation method. When filling out official documents or forms, follow the instructions and sample text carefully. In very formal situations, such as invitations or business letters, you may need to put the date into words. You can do this correctly in several ways: in the age of calendar apps, we do not need to write the date often. But that means it`s easy to forget about the rules for writing data in different places. So it`s a chance that we`re here to help! In formal European fonts, the date is usually written in the same way as the American version. January 4, 2005 would have simply changed the month and day, making it January 4, 2005. January 2005. Note that in a formal European version of the date, there is no comma.

The comma that separates the date of the year is an Americanism that Europeans do not follow. Equally worrying is the possibility of turning legal documents into actions for prescription. These measures must be taken within a certain period of time. Once this time has elapsed, the opportunity is lost. If this happens, prosecution is time-barred. In the past, when legal documents were designed with great formality, data was written in letters and numbers. This ruled out the possibility that a small mistake could cause big problems. The system is still used to write cheques, and some banks and agencies continue to use this format for title deeds. Source: The Canadian Style, 1997, Section 7.20 (Updated Examples) Interestingly, even in Hungary, no comma is used to write the date. Instead, there is a point after the year. In addition, the first letter of the month is not in capital letters. Write the date in different ways so that it is absolutely clear and there is no doubt about the intent.

Write the date several times in your document, especially if the date is particularly relevant, e.B a rental agreement or the transfer of sales documents. The date must appear in the header, in the style month, day and year, and in the text of the contract. DISCLAIMER: We are not responsible for any actions taken after reading this article. It is designed only as a guide and does not replace the expert legal advice you can get from marshalls + tooth + wilmoth and other relevant experts. One of the most difficult aspects of writing the date is whether you should use a comma. It all depends on the format. Solving the problem can result in lengthy and costly lawsuits…