Happy New Year from JCP Solicitors

The legal world has long been notorious for the prolix obfuscation of its language, using four words where one would do in order, it is thought, to keep lay people in the dark.

For the last twenty years or so, however, steps have been taken to make things simpler. The plaintiff for example is now known as the claimant, a writ is now a claim form and indeed our Trainee Solicitors are no longer referred to as Articled Clerks. Pretty as some ancient legal terms are, their demise should not be mourned. After all, the better people understand the law the better they are able to access it.

Despite these efforts to simplify legal lexicon, some archaic terms persist - and this is not necessarily a bad thing. People generally know what an Alibi is, and trying to explain the term in plainer English might take a sentence or two. And one area of law that still uses a lot of old Latin and Medieval French terms is that of Wills and Probate; indeed even the term Probate is a little obscure, coming as it does from the Latin for “to prove” in the sense that a person’s Will has to be proven to be valid.

Perhaps these terms cling on because they are mostly used amongst legal professionals, or because there’s no easier way of conveying their meaning in plain English. As 2023 draws to a close, we take great pride in offering our legal services to demystify these convoluted terms into 2024 and beyond.

And so, as a new epoch dawns, we would like to wish all our clients, partner organisations and stakeholders – said without obligation of reciprocity – a fruitful and prosperous 2024.

Or, in other words, Happy New Year from JCP. We hope 2024 is a good one. 

Need help debunking legal jargon? Get in touch with our team of friendly, local experts today. Email law@jcpsolicitors.co.uk or find your local branch here.