Plain English

Plain English — Legalese to Plain Language Translator

Translates every material clause in a contract into clear, jargon-free language that a non-lawyer can understand, while flagging clauses that appear to be deliberately confusing or that hide significant obligations behind complex wording.

Overview

Legal language exists for precision, but it is also routinely weaponized. Dense legalese discourages the other party from reading carefully, hides unfavorable terms behind jargon, and creates information asymmetry that favors the drafter.

This skill neutralizes that advantage by producing a clause-by-clause translation at an 8th-grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid grade 8 or below), accompanied by flags that highlight where the original language is not just complex but strategically confusing.

The goal is not to replace legal review but to ensure the signer actually understands what they are agreeing to before deciding whether to consult an attorney.

Prerequisites

• A contract must be provided as a file path or pasted text.
• No special knowledge from the user is required — the entire point of this skill is to make the contract accessible to anyone.

Instructions

1. Read the full contract. Use the Read tool if a file path is provided.

2. Identify all material clauses. Break the contract into individual sections and clauses. Skip boilerplate headers, signature blocks, and formatting-only content.

3. Translate each clause to plain English. For every material clause:

   • Rewrite in short, direct sentences (target: 8th-grade reading level).
   • Replace legal jargon with everyday equivalents:
     • "indemnify and hold harmless" -> "pay for any losses and protect from lawsuits"
     • "notwithstanding anything to the contrary" -> "even if other parts of this contract say differently"
     • "shall not be construed to" -> "does not mean"
     • "in the event of" -> "if"
     • "prior to" -> "before"
     • "pursuant to" -> "under" or "according to"
     • "herein", "hereof", "hereunder" -> "in this contract"
     • "mutatis mutandis" -> "with the necessary changes"
   • Preserve the legal meaning — do not simplify away obligations or rights.
   • State who must do what, by when, and what happens if they do not.

4. Apply the 5 flag types. After translating each clause, check whether any of these flags apply:

   Flag	Icon	When to Apply
   DELIBERATELY CONFUSING	:no_entry:	Language is unnecessarily complex in ways that obscure meaning; simpler alternatives exist and the drafter chose not to use them
   WATCH OUT	:warning:	Clause creates a significant obligation, cost, or restriction that a casual reader would likely miss
   SURPRISINGLY BROAD	:mag:	Scope is wider than what a reasonable person would expect from the section heading or context
   HIDDEN OBLIGATION	:lock:	An obligation is embedded inside a clause that appears to be about something else (e.g., a payment term hidden in a definitions section)
   CONTRADICTS EXPECTATIONS	:boom:	The clause says the opposite of what most people would assume based on the section title or common practice

5. Score overall readability. After translating all clauses, calculate:

   • Estimated Flesch-Kincaid grade level of the original document
   • Number of jargon terms replaced
   • Number of flags raised (broken down by type)
   • Percentage of clauses flagged

6. Generate the quick-reference summary. Create a one-page "What You Are Actually Agreeing To" summary covering:

   • What you must do (your obligations)
   • What you must not do (your restrictions)
   • What they must do (their obligations)
   • What happens if things go wrong (liability, termination, disputes)
   • What you give up (waivers, assignments, releases)
   • How long this lasts and how to get out

Output

Filename: PLAIN-ENGLISH-{contract-name-or-type}.md

# Plain English Translation
## Quick Reference: What You Are Actually Agreeing To
### Your Obligations
### Your Restrictions
### Their Obligations
### If Things Go Wrong
### What You Give Up
### Duration and Exit
## Readability Statistics
| Metric | Value |
## Clause-by-Clause Translation
### Section 1: [title]
**Original:** [quoted legalese]
**Plain English:** [translation]
**Flags:** [any applicable flags]
### Section 2: [title]
...
## Flag Summary
## Disclaimer

Error Handling