Exordium Clause

It sounds like the title of a horror movie...Exordium III: the Exordium Clause.

The term does involve death, like a good horror movie should, but possibly the most boring part of it. Namely, it relates to the introduction to a will.

Imagine the scene: a rich old-timer dies. His collection of no-good, gold-digging relatives (one of whom might have killed the miserly codger) gather in the plush office of a high-end estate lawyer. They shift uncomfortably in their seats and shoot each other suspicious glances as the lawyer starts to read the will. Who will get the lion's share of the inheritance?

Unfortunately for them, before the lawyer can get to the meat of the will, he has to read through the exordium clause. It represents the introductory part of the document...the tedious section before the actual will begins.

The exordium lays out the fact that the document is a will, it states whose will it is, and it gives some additional pieces of basic information.