Legalese

The following is an exact sentence copied from a document prepared by an attorney that I had the misfortune of once dealing with:

In consideration for the State of Oregon forbearing any further collection or execution activity on Plaintiff's debt to the Department of Consumer and Business Services so long as Mr. Ricker pays no less than $200.00 per month commencing August 20, 2013, inclusive of all claimed and unclaimed damages (economic, noneconomic, punitive, or compensatory damages) attorney fees, costs and all forms of liens (medical, hospital, PIP, Medicare or attorney liens), the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged by Plaintiff, individually and for his heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and all those in interest with him do hereby release, acquit and forever discharge the State of Oregon, and all those in interest with it, including its heirs, successors, trustees, administrators, assigns, officers, current and former employees, attorneys, insurers, agents and all other persons, firms, state or federal agencies, departments, institutions or corporations, liable or who might be claimed to be liable, none of whom admits liability, but each of whom expressly denies liability (hereafter Released Parties), of and from any and all claims whatsoever which exist through the date of this Agreement, including but not limited to all demands, actions, suits, causes of action, obligations, controversies, debts, costs, attorney fees, expenses, all form of damages, damages, losses, judgments, orders, liens and liabilities of any, every and whatever kind or nature, whether in law, equity, or otherwise, whether based in contract, tort, statute, regulation, tariff, rule, indemnification, contribution, or any other theory of recovery, whether known or unknown, whether suspected or unsuspected, and whether or not concealed or hidden, which have existed or may have existed, or which do exist or which hereafter shall or may exist, based on any facts, events, or omissions that in any manner or fashion relate to or arise out of Plaintiff's claims with the Released Parties.

Obviously the attorney that wrote this had "gone off the deep end" and was trying to fill the page with so much legalese as to cover every possible situation that could ever exist, and confuse everyone as much as possible in the process. Aside from his ridiculous compilation of legalese, though, what is wrong with this sentence?

Answer:

It is not a complete sentence!

Here is the same "sentence" again, broken into pieces to help clarify what it's intended meaning might be. I have deleted all phrases in parentheses for simplification, replacing them with elipses (...), since they do not effect the structure of the "sentence".

What is the verb in this "sentence"? Obviously it is "do hereby release, acquit and forever discharge". If so, then who is it that is doing the releasing, acquitting and discharging? One would think that it would be the Plaintiff along with all those others named with him, but those people are only listed as acknowledging receipt of (well, what is it that they are acknowledging receipt of, anyway?!). Nowhere in the sentence does it state who is doing the releasing, acquitting and discharging.

Moral of the story: Before you hire a $200-an-hour attorney, make sure he knows how to write a sentence!