![A picture of the Chicago Picasso](https://www.hpindiana.law/business-blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2022-05-15-19.01.26-scaled-1-225x300.jpg)
The Chicago Picasso in Daley Plaza, copyright 2023 Harshman Ponist Smith & Rayl
Lawyers and others often say that “may” is permissive and “shall” is mandatory. By that, they mean that when a statute says a person “may” do something, that person has the discretion to do it or not, but when a statute says a person “shall” do something, the person has no choice. Or, as the Drafting Manual for the Indiana General Assembly puts it:
To create a duty, say “shall.”