Legal instrument is a
legal term of art that is used for any formally executed written
document that can be formally attributed to its author, records and formally expresses a legally enforceable act, process, or contractual duty, obligation, or right, and therefore evidences that act, process, or agreement. Examples include a ,
deed,
bond,
contract,
will,
legislative act,
notarial act, court
writ or process, or any
law passed by a competent
legislative body in
municipal (domestic) or
international law. Many legal instruments were written
under seal by affixing a wax or paper
seal to the document in evidence of its legal execution and
authenticity (which often removes the need for
consideration in
contract law); however, today many jurisdictions have done away with the requirement of documents being under seal in order to give them legal effect.