Legal Definitions - ingross

The term ingross (also commonly spelled engross) refers to the act of preparing the final, official version of a legal document. This process involves creating a clean, complete, and error-free copy of a contract, statute, court order, or other formal instrument, ensuring it incorporates all agreed-upon terms, amendments, or decisions. The purpose of engrossing is to produce a definitive document ready for formal execution, such as signing, official filing, or publication, without any further alterations or corrections.

• Example 1: Legislative Bill

  After a state legislature has debated and passed a new environmental protection bill, incorporating several amendments proposed by different committees, the legislative clerk's office will ingross the bill. This means they will compile all the approved changes into a single, final, and perfectly formatted document. This engrossed version is then sent to the governor for signature, ensuring that the official record accurately reflects the law as passed by the legislature.

• Example 2: Real Estate Purchase Agreement

  A buyer and seller have spent weeks negotiating the terms of a complex commercial property sale, including specific clauses about repairs, closing costs, and occupancy dates. Once all parties have agreed to every detail, their respective attorneys will work together to ingross the final purchase agreement. They will produce a clean, comprehensive document that includes all the finalized terms, ready for both the buyer and seller to sign, ensuring there are no ambiguities or handwritten changes on the official contract.

• Example 3: Final Court Judgment

  Following a civil trial, a judge delivers a detailed oral ruling outlining the responsibilities of each party and the damages awarded. The prevailing party's attorney is then often tasked with preparing the formal written judgment. This involves ingrossing the judge's decision into a precise, official document that accurately reflects all aspects of the ruling, without any errors or omissions. Once engrossed, the judgment is submitted to the court for the judge's signature and official filing, becoming the binding legal record of the case.