Organize this! Why Clear Handwriting Matters for Legal and Financial Documents

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When preparing legal and financial documents, it’s essential to write letters and numbers clearly to avoid confusion and potential errors. Many characters, such as the number 0 and the upper-case letter O, or the number 1 and lower-case letter l "el" and upper-case letter I, can look nearly identical when handwritten. Misreading these can lead to incorrect account numbers, misfiled records, incorrect email addresses, or even legal disputes. This doesn’t mean you should avoid using these characters altogether; rather, be mindful of how you write them. To prevent this, use block letters, avoid cursive when possible, and double-check that each character is distinct. Taking the time to write legibly protects your information and ensures others can accurately follow your instructions. 

The tables below list some commonly confused letters and numbers in handwriting, which might help you when preparing your own legal and financial documents.