Petitionthereby

Petitionthereby is a term that appears in discussions of legal drafting to describe a petition that, by being filed, triggers a specified legal effect. The coinage combines the noun petition with the adverb thereb y to emphasize the causal link between the act of filing and the consequence that follows.

Usage and reception. Petitionthereby is not an established term in major legal dictionaries or mainstream practice guides. It is occasionally mentioned in informal writings, drafting notes, or linguistic discussions about how legal English links actions to outcomes. Because it is not widely adopted, its precise meaning can be unclear and it may be seen as unconventional or stylistically awkward in formal documents.

Example and interpretation. A typical illustration would be: “The plaintiff files the petition thereby seeking a stay of proceedings.” In this usage the filing of the petition is presented as the act that causes the stay. However, standard drafting generally relies on phrases like “by filing this petition, the plaintiff obtains a stay,” or “the petition seeks, thereby obtaining a stay,” which are clearer and more conventional.

Limitations and critique. The main drawback of petitionthereby is potential for ambiguity or perceived pedantry in formal legal writing. Because it is not widely recognized, it can hinder comprehension for readers unfamiliar with the neologism. Most practitioners prefer explicit, conventional phrasing that states the action and its consequence separately.

See also. Thereby; legal drafting; petition; causation in legal language.