In legal English one must remember that prepositions such as in, on, with, about etc. may change the whole meaning of the phrase. One has to memorize them or learn by heart.
Learn a handful of prepositional phrases below:
to accuse OF
He was accused of stealing a car.
be liable FOR
The company is liable for its product.
to sentence somebody TO
The burglar was sentenced to five years in prison.
subject TO
The goods are for sale at this price subject to availability.
to act FOR
The solicitors act for their clients in the court of law.
to preside OVER
Judge Smith is presiding over the insurance case.
be eligible FOR
You are not eligible for this time of money allowance.
be covered BY
You are not covered by my insurance.
to draw UP
My lawyer will draw up a contract.
an amendment TO
The House of Lords suggested an amendment to this Bill.
to come INTO force
The new Act will come into force at midnight tonight.
to sue ON
She sued him on his promise to deliver the goods on time.
to be UNDER a legal obligation
You are under a legal obligation to perform your duties.
IN writing
If you have evidence in writing it will help during the trial.
to enter INTO
The parties entered into an agreement.
to award money IN damages
The judge awarded me $5,000 in damages.
UNDER legislation/contract/law
Under this contract you are obliged to make payments monthly.
be entitled TO
My client is entitled to redress.
to arise FROM
Many of the principles of the law of tort arise from the common law.
be guilty OF
The defendant was guilty of commiting this crime.
parties TO an agreement
Who are the parties to this contract?
a source OF law
Legislatiion is th eUK’s most important source of law.
to come INTO force
The new Act will come into force as of tomorow.
to be reimbursed BY someone
I was reimbured by my employer for my train fare to Warsaw.
to have a duty TO another person
You have an automatic duty to every other citizen not to cause them harm because of your conduct.
to cause harm TO someone
Your client’s negligent conduct was the cause of the harm to my client.
a duty impose UPON someone
Statue imposes a duty upon you concerning your liability for any products that you sell to the public.
the tort of trespass TO land
Going into someone’ss land without their permission is know as trespass to land.
to act ON behalf OF someone
My lawyer acts on behalf of me in legal matters.
to be entrusted WITH doing something
I am entrusting you with a very important new client.
IN consideration OF something
In considertion of the sum specified in Schedule A.
IN exchange FOR something
I will give you $1000 in exchange for your car.
If you liked this post, you may also want to read Types of Contract Clauses.
Contact me to schedule your trial lesson, if you are interested in learning Legal English.