How the Free Legal Document Project Came About

There are so many instances where people require a legal document and have neither time nor the budget for consultation with an attorney.

Our objective is to offer the content at zero cost to you, our site visitor, and we have indeed been doing so since 2004.

Our primary focus is to supply you with legal content that is:

• Written in simple terms so everyone has a clear understanding as to what they are signing up for and in fact agreeing to. Further, ensuring that their agreement is unbiased with specific care taken to remain non-discriminatory in an effort to avoid infringing on the rights of either party entering into an agreement.;
• Factual - because we understand the importance of the information we are providing;
• Pertinent - because of the input and contribution of professionals who utilise the legal templates presented here on a daily basis, in a variety of personal and business situations.

19 Years on - Why do we still offer our legal information and templates for free?

In short, we believe everyone should have access to the law and not just those who can afford it.

Our income is derived from sponsored advertising on our site without which we simply would not be able to carry the ongoing cost of web hosting and publishing evergreen content. However - this still comes at no cost to our site visitors!

In which countries are our legal documents valid?

As at the end May 2024 we've had nearly 17 million users of our site with the majority being from the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand with many other English speaking users residing in a number of other countries.

The templates for an affidavit, or power of attorney or a last will and testament etc. follow a standard layout, which is accepted in most jurisdictions. The legal execution (the formalities for the signing thereof) may differ - whether you need two or more witnesses, or need to have it notarized or filed with an institution.

Wherever possible, we also provide country/state/province specific legal guidelines, or links to government resources to assist you, so as to ensure your document is legally valid.

Meet Our Legal and Collaborative Team

Matthew Sawyer (LLM)

Matthew obtained his law degree which focussed on all aspects of law including contracts, family law and estate/property law.

Matthew earned his Master of Laws degree specializing in Intellectual Property with a focus on copyright law bearing an international influence.

Matthew now practices as a trade mark attorney and handles all aspects of local and international trade mark prosecution. He is also experienced in the commercial side of intellectual property law including legal commercial agreements (i.e. licenses and transfer agreements).

Matthew contributes to and legally approves content on an ongoing basis.

Owen Salmon SC

Owen has been practising as an advocate since 1992 (and as an attorney for 8 years prior to that) and is a Senior Advocate (SC) at the Johannesburg Bar.

He is an intellectual property specialist. In this field, and in contractual restraint of trade disputes, he has represented clients since 1984, litigating in all divisions of the High Court, the Commissioner of Patents, the Registrar of Trade Marks, the Copyright Tribunal, the Advertising Regulatory Board, the Supreme Court of Appeal, and the Constitutional Court.

Please Visit Owen Salmon for further referencing.

Owen is the author of the following books available for purchase, which simplify a wide array of statutes and intellectual property rights:

Owen has contributed to the intellectual property content on our site: patents, trademarks, copyright and designs.

Nathaniel E. Spitler (B.S., J.D.)

Nathaniel is a Managing Partner at Spitler Huffman, LLP. His practice areas include Wills and Trusts, Probate and Estate Planning, Dissolution, Real Estate, Bankruptcy, Medicaid.

Admitted to Bar: 2006, Ohio and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio.

Since its founding in 1936, Spitler Huffman, LLP has been serving the needs of Northwest Ohio and beyond.

Nathaniel has contributed to the estate planning content on our site: State specific requirements for a Last Will and Testament.

Content and Technical Team

David Sawyer and Antoinette Sawyer

• Property management and experience as landlords for 17 years;
• Employee management in the retail and engineering environment for 21 years respectively;
• Managing Director of an engineering firm operating internationally;
• 20 years experience as franchisees of a global brand.

David and Antoinette (the coordinator of the site) provide briefing to the legal team from their experience and understanding of the needs of the parties entering into agreements.

Guy Sawyer (MEng)

Guy works as a software engineer with a degree in Electronic Engineering.

Guy is currently employed as an Android Native Developer and whilst most of his dealings are not necessarily legally related, his input is vital to the maintenance of the site and its presence on the Web.

Free Legal Documents have been featured and referenced on:

Extracts of our articles are also published with permission granted to Oxford University Press Southern Africa in textbooks which form part of suggested academic materials for a number of educational institutions:

Please note: We always stress that our site content is not a substitute for legal advice!

But we still encourage you to use our templates and legal guidelines to know and understand what you need to achieve and thereby streamline your thoughts, so your consultation with your attorney can be time and cost efficient. You can also draft your agreement using our templates, and then have it reviewed by an attorney.

Please feel free to add your comments or suggestions using Facebook at the bottom of this page or by sending us a note using our Contact form.

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