Murder your darlings
Avoid definitions. Mostly, people can figure out what you mean with little doubt from the context. Only use definitions when you are using a woord in a specific way that does not align with its ordinary meaning.
- So don't define "tax" as any tax, duty, excise, deduction, witholding impost or lvey imposed by a competent authority any other familiar term that will, you know, show up on the Google as a freaking synonym for "tax".
- Use the active tense. Avoid the passive whenever you can.
- "for the avoidance of doubt". This is an explicit acknowledgment that what you have just written contains doubt. You are a solicitor. You are an officer of the Queen's English. Physician, heal thyself.
- "(including, without limitation ...)"
- "unless otherwise agreed by the parties"
- "and/or"
- "We reserve the right to ..." - Wait a minute: Did you just give that right away? If so, you can't reserve it. If you didn't, you've still got it, so - you know - shut up already.
- ", whether ... or otherwise," - kill it. Go on, just kill it. You'll feel so much better.
- "we may, but shall not be obligated to, ... " - collapses quite happily down to "we may ..."
- "Please be advised/please be aware, please note" - If your counterparty is reading the document, she is being advised, becoming aware, and taking note. If she's not, it won't make a damn of difference.
"The parties agree that..." - you don't say. It being an agreement and everything. Try something novel - don't say it.