Legal Definitions - drafter

A drafter is an individual responsible for preparing or composing a legal document.

Here are some examples illustrating the role of a drafter:

• Imagine a real estate transaction where a family is purchasing a new home. The attorney representing the buyers meticulously prepares the deed, which is the legal document that officially transfers ownership of the property from the seller to the buyers. In this scenario, the attorney acts as the drafter because they are creating the formal legal instrument that records the property transfer.

• Consider a startup company launching an innovative new software product. Before the product goes live, a legal professional within the company's team formulates the comprehensive End-User License Agreement (EULA). This document outlines the terms and conditions under which users can access and use the software. The legal professional who writes and structures this agreement is the drafter, as they are composing the binding legal rules for the product's use.

• In a court case, a lawyer representing a client who has been sued needs to respond to the allegations made by the opposing party. The lawyer then prepares a detailed answer to the complaint, which is a formal legal document filed with the court outlining their client's defense and counterarguments. By constructing this written response for official submission, the lawyer functions as the drafter of that particular court pleading.