Expressions of date and time period are overlooked because they are short. Yet the sharpest fields in a document, the ones that create rights and obligations, are more often than not these.
The order of day and month can be confused
A date written in figures can be read differently in different countries. Stating the name of the month in words removes this ambiguity altogether.
Working days and calendar days are counted separately
When it is not written down whether a period is in working days or calendar days, the two sides calculate different dates and each thinks its own calculation is right.
The starting day is stated
Whether the period starts from the day of notification or from the following day directly changes the result in short periods. This detail is written down explicitly.
Public holidays differ
The holidays of two countries do not coincide. A period calculated in working days must also state according to which country's calendar it is counted.
The time zone is information too
In obligations tied to a specific hour, if the time zone is not written down, the last moment falls at a different time on the two sides.
Expressions of period are not rounded
Expressions such as "about a month" should have no place in a binding document. A period written as a number is closed to argument.
Past and future tenses call for care
Whether an obligation has been performed or is yet to be performed is determined by the choice of tense. This distinction can easily slip in translation.
Counter-view: these are technical details
It may be thought that such fine distinctions will weigh the document down. Yet the weight is limited to a few words, whereas the dispute caused by a period left ambiguous is far more costly.
The effective date and the date of signature are separate
The date on which a document was signed and the date on which it entered into force may differ. Confusing the two shifts the start of the obligations.
The validity period is checked
Some documents are not accepted when they are older than a certain period. The date of issue of the document must for this reason be visible.
Automated checks are very effective here
When dates and numerical fields are compared with a tool, an overlooked digit or a difference in the year is caught. This check is applied at every level.
The decision on format is written in the guide
The format in which dates will be written is decided once and applied in the same way in all documents. This is the guide entry that recurs most often.
The habit of the target country is respected
The format the reader is used to must be as easy to understand as it is correct. If the two criteria clash, the explicit spelling is preferred.
Tables of periods are scanned separately
Tables such as notice periods and payment terms require a round of review separate from the rest of the text.
Takeaway
Expressions of date and time period, although they are the shortest, are the fields that create rights the most. Stating the name of the month in words, writing down the working day distinction, defining the starting day and scanning the numerical fields automatically; these four block from the outset the most expensive type of dispute, the one that forms silently.