【正文】 e with the client‘‘s wishes. 　　42. Save the drafts as multiple files on your puter. If you save the first draft on your puter as two files, you will have one file identified as the first draft and the other identified as the current version. This can be done by naming the current version contract and the first draft as . Then, subsequent versions can be named , , etc., where the d in the extension indicates draft. (Of course, if you‘‘re not using WordPerfect for DOS, as I do, you can use long file names to show the contract name, draft number and draft date, such as Contract Smith Jones draft 2 datd 6 22 2000.) 　　43. Compare the current version to prior versions. If you save draft versions, it is very easy to pare one version to another using the word processor‘‘s pare feature or using the CompareRite puter program. When you pare to , save the parison as and print it to show the client what changes were made. 　　How to Print and Sign the Final Draft 　　44. Print the contract on 24 pound bond paper instead of 20 pound copier paper. Using a heavy bond paper will make it easy to tell the original contract from copies. It will also last longer. 　　45. Print on pages using the same paper, and if pages are changed, reprint the document using the same paper. This will avoid an argument that pages were substituted after the contract was signed. 　　46. Sign the contract in blue ink, not black ink. This, too, will make it easier to differentiate the signed original contract from photocopies. 　　47. Initial every page of the contract. Having each party initial each page of the contract will make it less likely that anyone could claim a page was changed after the contract was signed. 　　48. Identify the parties and witnesses who sign by providing blank lines below their signature lines for their printed names and addresses. This will make it easier to find the witnesses if the contract is contested. And remember to include two witnesses for mercial leases. 　　49. Be sure that corporate officers include their titles, the corporation name and the word as. Failure to do this can result in personal liability of the officer. The proper way to sign in a representative capacity is as follows: 　　ABC Corporation, a Florida corporation 　　By:____________________________________ 　　John Jones, as its President 　　50. Add a notary clause that plies with the notary law. The notary acknowledgement in Appendix B is such a clause. 　　Concluding Advice 　　If these 50 tips don‘‘t keep your contracts out of court, try mastering Strunk amp。 it is almost impossible to say it twice without creating ambiguity. Only if the concept is a difficult one should you write it in more than one way. In addition, if you use an example to clarify a difficult concept or formula, be sure that all possible meanings are considered and that the example is accurate and consistent with the concept as worded. 　　 What to Watch Out for When Writing 　　 17. Title it Contract. Do not leave this one to chance. If your client wants a contract, call it a contract. A judge now sitting on the federal bench once ruled that a document entitled Proposal was not a contract even though signed by both parties. The lesson learned is, Say what you mean. If you intend the document to be a legally binding contract, use the word Contract in the title. 　　 18. Write in short sentences. Short sentences are easier to understand than long ones. 　　 19. Write in active tense, rather than passive. Active tense sentences are shorter and use words more efficiently, and their meaning is more apparent. Example of active: Sellers shall sell the Property to Buyer. Example of passive: The Property shall be sold to Buyer by Seller. 　　 20. Don‘‘t use the word biweekly. It has two meanings: twice a week and every other week. The same applies to bimonthly. Instead, write every other week or twice a week. 　　 21. Don‘‘t say things like active termites and organisms. Avoid ambiguity by writing either active termites and active organisms or organisms and active termites. When adding a modifier like active before a pound of nouns like termites and organisms, be sure to clarify whether you intend the modifier to apply to both nouns or just the first one. If you intend it to apply to both, use parallel construction and write the modifier in front of each noun. If you intend it to apply to just one noun, place that one noun at the end of the list and the modifier directly in front of it. 　　 22. Don‘‘t say Lessor and Lessee. Th