Law, Military Science and Security Justice in Society

Draft Legal Documents For Attorney Practice Training

SAQA US 116118 | NQF 7 | Credits 8 | Duration 5 Days
From $1,242 per delegate

Description

This course equips legal professionals with the practical skills to draft accurate and legally sound documents for attorney practice. Participants will learn to interpret instructions, apply legal principles, and produce documents that meet regulatory and professional standards.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply the principles of legal drafting to produce clear and unambiguous legal documents.
  • Analyze client instructions and relevant legal frameworks to determine document requirements.
  • Draft contracts, pleadings, and other legal documents in compliance with the Rules of Court and statutory requirements.
  • Evaluate drafted documents for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to ethical standards.
  • Implement revisions based on feedback from supervising attorneys or clients.
  • Demonstrate competence in using standard legal terminology and document formats.

Target Audience

This course is designed for legal practitioners, paralegals, and legal secretaries who are required to draft legal documents as part of their daily responsibilities in a South African attorney practice.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Legal Drafting and Foundational Principles

Objectives:
• Understand the purpose and importance of legal documents in attorney practice
• Identify the key characteristics of effective legal writing (clarity, precision, conciseness)
• Recognise the ethical and professional obligations in drafting legal documents
• Differentiate between various types of legal documents commonly used in practice

Topics:
• Overview of legal drafting in the South African context
• Principles of plain language in legal writing
• Ethical considerations: confidentiality, conflict of interest, and duty of care
• Structure and components of legal documents (e.g., headings, recitals, operative clauses)
• Common legal terminology and definitions
• Introduction to the SAQA Unit Standard 116118 requirements

Day 2: Drafting Contracts and Agreements

Objectives:
• Apply the essential elements of a valid contract (offer, acceptance, consideration, intention)
• Draft clear and enforceable contract clauses (e.g., payment, termination, dispute resolution)
• Identify and avoid common drafting pitfalls (ambiguity, inconsistency, omission)
• Use precedents and checklists to ensure completeness

Topics:
• Anatomy of a contract: parties, recitals, operative provisions, schedules
• Drafting specific clauses: warranties, indemnities, force majeure
• Techniques for avoiding ambiguity: defined terms, consistent language
• Reviewing and amending standard form contracts
• Practical exercise: drafting a simple service agreement

Day 3: Drafting Court Documents and Pleadings

Objectives:
• Understand the rules and formats for drafting pleadings in South African courts
• Draft a simple summons, particulars of claim, and notice of appearance
• Apply the principles of cause of action and jurisdiction in pleadings
• Use correct citation and formatting according to court rules

Topics:
• Overview of the Uniform Rules of Court and Magistrates' Court Rules
• Structure of pleadings: heading, body, prayer, signature
• Drafting particulars of claim: material facts, legal basis, relief sought
• Drafting notices: notice of motion, founding affidavit (basic)
• Common errors in pleadings and how to avoid them
• Practical exercise: drafting a simple summons and particulars of claim

Day 4: Drafting Wills, Trusts, and Estate Documents

Objectives:
• Comply with the formalities required for a valid will under the Wills Act
• Draft clear testamentary dispositions and clauses (e.g., bequests, executors)
• Understand the basics of trust deeds and inter vivos trusts
• Apply drafting techniques to minimise disputes and interpretation issues

Topics:
• Requirements for a valid will: signature, witnesses, attestation clause
• Drafting key clauses: appointment of executor, guardians, legacies
• Revocation and amendment of wills: codicils
• Introduction to trust deeds: founders, trustees, beneficiaries
• Practical exercise: drafting a simple will and trust deed clause

Day 5: Advanced Drafting, Review, and Integration

Objectives:
• Draft complex documents incorporating multiple legal concepts
• Conduct a thorough review and edit of legal documents for accuracy and compliance
• Integrate feedback and apply quality assurance processes
• Demonstrate competence in drafting a complete legal document from a scenario

Topics:
• Drafting composite documents: settlement agreements, consent orders
• Techniques for reviewing and redlining documents
• Compliance checklists and peer review processes
• Ethics in finalising documents: certification and filing
• Capstone exercise: draft a comprehensive legal document (e.g., a deed of sale or employment contract) based on a given scenario
• Final assessment and reflection on learning outcomes

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 19 Oct 2026 Fri 23 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
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Mon 06 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 17 Jan 2028 Fri 21 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 498 sessions across 26 venues
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Mon 03 Aug 2026 Fri 07 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $1,863 Register
Mon 03 Aug 2026 Fri 07 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
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In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
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Mon 14 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 26 Oct 2026 Fri 30 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
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Mon 18 Jan 2027 Fri 22 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
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Mon 15 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 22 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Fri 18 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Fri 30 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Fri 08 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 25 Oct 2027 Fri 29 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 24 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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