2

While reading through contracts, every time I think to check, all the section titles end with a period.

Example:

1 Some Random Section.

(Section's text goes here)

Is this just the standard formatting style, or is there any legal requirement for it?

Is there a guide online that lists the standard contract formatting style conventions?

Improve this question
2
  • 1
    Most contracts don't even need to be in writing, let alone to follow any formatting guidelines. There could be conventions or traditions though. You need to specify location/jurisdiction and sphere of activity.
    – Greendrake
    Commented Jun 26, 2018 at 12:22
  • 1
    As long as you are consistent it doesn't matter. Style guides differ on these points.
    – ohwilleke
    Commented Jun 26, 2018 at 19:06

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4

No, section titles do not have to end in a period. But a common convention in the U.S. is that when section titles are used, they appear in bold and are followed by an unbolded period. For example:

  1. Development Credit. The Client shall acknowledge the Developer as the Website developer on the Website page entitled ...

The convention promotes clarity and helps courts that later have to interpret the document to better understand the parties' intent.

For a written contract, an alternative would be to place the title on its own line with the text below. Some contracts omit section titles entirely. Others add them but with an additional section explaining that the titles are not to be used to interpret section text groupings.

Online resources like Law Insider and Onecle have large databases of sample contracts that should help with both formatting and content. If you'd like to learn contract drafting and revising somewhat more formally, then a good text reference is Tina L. Stark, Drafting Contracts: How and Why Lawyers Do What They Do (Wolters Kluwer 2d ed 2014). (The above snippet is from Stark.)

Improve this answer
2
  • 2
    Two points I would add: (1) A quick internet search reveals that a section title on its own line may appear with or without punctuation. (2) When a section title is included at the beginning of the paragraph body, a lack of punctuation could be confusing.
    – phoog
    Commented Jun 26, 2018 at 14:49
  • Agree with @phoog.
    – Pat W. ♦
    Commented Jun 26, 2018 at 15:41

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .