SQE2 legal drafting template

An SQE2 legal drafting template starts with four checks: what the document is for, who reads it, what format it must follow, and what the instructions require. Then you draft or amend with precise, plain wording. See the legal drafting guide and an amended clauses example.

Four checks before you write

1. Purpose. What must the document achieve for the client?
2. Reader. A court, a counterparty, a registrar or the client.
3. Format. Does a rule or a precedent fix the layout?
4. Instructions. Note each instruction and tick it off when drafted. Missing one is the most common loss.

By document type

Witness statement. Name and address, then numbered paragraphs in the first person and in date order, saying what the witness saw or did. Separate fact from opinion. Say how the witness knows each fact. End with the statement of truth in the form set by CPR Part 22 and its Practice Direction. It says the witness believes the facts are true and understands that proceedings for contempt of court may be brought against anyone who makes a false statement without an honest belief in its truth.

Particulars of claim. Parties, a concise statement of the facts relied on, the terms of any contract, the breach, the loss, interest, the remedy sought (CPR r 16.4 and PD 16), and a statement of truth (CPR Part 22). Number the paragraphs.

Board minutes. Date and place, directors present, quorum, declarations of interest (Companies Act 2006, s 177), each resolution in numbered form with who proposed it and the decision.

Clause in a lease or will. State who must do what, when and what follows if they do not. In a will: revoke earlier wills, appoint executors, then gifts. Use defined terms and use them the same way each time.

Mini amendment examples

Lease clause, rent. Draft as sent: 'The Tenant shall pay the rent when asked.' Problem: no date, no frequency, no method. Amended: 'The Tenant shall pay the Rent by equal quarterly instalments in advance on the usual quarter days, without deduction, by banker's standing order.'

Witness statement paragraph. Draft: 'The defendant was clearly negligent.' Problem: opinion and conclusion. Amended: 'At about 4.15 pm on 12 May I saw the defendant's van drive through the red light at the junction of High Street and Mill Lane.'

Will. Draft: 'I give my house to my wife.' Amended: 'I give my property known as 14 Elm Road to my wife Grace Okafor if she survives me by 28 days, and if she does not, to my children in equal shares.' The survivorship period, the clear description of the property and the gift over remove doubt.

Board minutes. Draft: 'The board agreed the loan.' Amended: 'RESOLVED that the company enters into the loan agreement with Northbank plc dated 5 June in the form tabled, and that Ms Pruett is authorised to sign it. Mr Lyle declared an interest in the loan as a shareholder of Northbank plc and did not vote.'

Mistakes that lose marks

• Ignoring an instruction in the email or file note.
• Using different words for the same thing, which creates doubt.
• Leaving gaps: no dates, no amounts, no trigger.
• Putting argument or opinion in a statement of fact.
• Copying a precedent without removing the parts that do not fit.
• Missing a drafting point that raises an ethics issue, such as a clause the client has not been advised on.

Checklist

• Every instruction is reflected.
• Format follows the rule or precedent.
• Defined terms are consistent.
• Dates, sums and names are exact.
• The document can be read alone and still makes sense.

Check your work against a timed property practice or wills task.

Questions

Related

• SQE2 legal drafting: how to draft a document that works
• SQE2 legal drafting example: amended clauses
• SQE2 wills and probate: what the tasks look like
• SQE2 business law: what the tasks look like
• SQE2 mock: how to run one that helps

Sources: SRA presentation: The SQE2 assessment; Civil Procedure Rules; Companies Act 2006; Wills Act 1837. Checked 10 November 2026.