Definition of Legal Documents
Legal documents are papers that can be filed with a court officer or used to uphold an agreement in a court of law. The documents can be signed, notarized or give times and dates of events, conversations or things that took place. The documents can be kept in a layer's office, safe deposit box or hidden by a consumer or business until they are needed.
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Types
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There are many types of legal documents. A few examples are medical records recorded by a doctor, a last will and testament written by a consumer and a written statement by an eyewitness to an event or crime. In most cases a signature is needed to authenticate that the parties in question are stating that what is recorded is true.
Effects
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The effects of legal documents can be positive or negative. In the case of a couple desiring to be married, a marriage license is required. This legal document, signed by authorized persons, gives the couple legal rights to be married. In the case of a car accident, an eyewitness may write a written statement saying that he saw the person who was at fault in the accident.
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Benefits
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The benefits of a legal document is that it is proof that the person is not lying about the claims she is making. For example, if a person says she was sick and could not make it to work, the doctor can write a note for the employer stating that the illness is true and the employee cannot perform her job duties for a specified amount of time. Another benefit of a legal document is that it proves ownership in an intellectual property case. A writer can prove she wrote a script or book first based on the date of the copyright. The copyright is a legal document filed to prove ownership over written and recorded material.
Time Frame
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Some legal documents last forever once they are recorded, while other documents only last for a few years. The reason some documents expire is due to the nature of the case or topic. In some cases a time frame for filing a document is necessary for investigation purposes. It is difficult to prove some incidents or events happened if too much time passes before paperwork is filed.
Misconceptions
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In most cases legal documents can be used as proof something happened. A last will and testament proves that the dividing of a person's assets and property once he is deceased are carried out according to his wishes. It is difficult to prove if the deceased person told another person what his wishes were, but the fact that once the legal documents are presented with the person's signature, that offers proof that the wishes of the person are legitimate.
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References
Resources
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