Output DOCX Export Style

DOCX Export Style

When to use this

Apply this style specification whenever generating output that will be exported as a Microsoft Word (.docx) file. This covers:

• Contract drafts and amendments
• Legal memos and opinions
• Client letters formatted for delivery
• Court submissions (where Word format is accepted)
• Term sheets and MOUs

For PDF-only output, these rules still apply — they govern the intermediate Word document before PDF conversion.

Heading hierarchy

Use named Word styles (not manual bold/font-size formatting — manual formatting breaks on template changes and does not export cleanly):

All heading styles should be defined in the document's built-in style set. Do not override heading styles with manual formatting.

Font and spacing

Margins

Page layout

• Page numbers: bottom center, starting from page 1 of the agreement body (not the cover page, if any).
• Header: agreement short title + version date (optional; depends on firm style). Example: Non-Disclosure Agreement — Execution Version — May 2026.
• Footer: confidentiality marking — PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL if the document contains legal advice; CONFIDENTIAL for commercial contracts between sophisticated parties.

Numbering

Use automatic Word numbering — never manual numbering. Manual numbering (typing "1.", "2." by hand) breaks when clauses are added or removed during negotiation.

Numbering scheme for commercial contracts:

ARTICLE 1. DEFINITIONS
  1.1  [Clause body]
  1.2  [Clause body]
    (a)  [Sub-clause]
    (b)  [Sub-clause]
       (i)   [Sub-sub-clause]
       (ii)  [Sub-sub-clause]

Cross-references must be implemented using Word's cross-reference fields (Insert → Cross-reference → Heading/Numbered item) — not typed as literal text. Cross-reference fields update automatically when numbering changes.

Signature block

Place the signature block at the end of the main agreement body, before any schedules:

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

For [PARTY A NAME]                    For [PARTY B NAME]
By: ___________________________       By: ___________________________
Name:                                 Name:
Title:                                Title:
Date:                                 Date:

Rules:

• Two-column layout using a table (no visible borders) — not using tab stops or manual spacing (which breaks on re-pagination).
• Use Word form fields or underline characters for signature lines — not hand-drawn lines.
• Include "By:" to clarify that the signature is that of an authorized representative, not the party entity itself.
• The date line should be left blank in the template for wet-ink or e-signature completion.
• For jurisdictions requiring witnesses (e.g., UAE real estate transactions, Lebanese notarized contracts): add witness blocks below the party signature blocks.

Schedules and annexes

Each schedule starts on a new page. The cover of each schedule:

SCHEDULE [1 / A] — [SCHEDULE TITLE]

(referred to in the Agreement as "Schedule [1/A]")

Rules:

• Numbered continuously from the main agreement: Schedules 1, 2, 3 (or Annexes A, B, C — pick one convention and stick to it).
• Cross-references from the main agreement body to schedules use the exact schedule name/number.
• Schedules that are signed separately (e.g., a Statement of Work) need their own signature lines.
• Include the page number in the footer of each schedule page, continuing from the main agreement.

What to avoid

Bilingual DOCX

For bilingual Arabic-English documents, see [[output-bilingual-formatting]] for the two-column table layout that pairs with this style specification.

Related skills

• [[output-bilingual-formatting]] — bilingual layout for Arabic-English DOCX exports
• [[output-client-letter-style]] — client letter formatting that pairs with DOCX export
• [[output-executive-summary-first]] — BLUF structure that may appear at the start of an exported memo