When considering UK construction standard form contracts, it has been clear to most users that the NEC suite contains a condition precedent or time-bar clause, whilst the JCT suite does not. Conditions precedent under the JCT suite Strictly speaking, that view has not been true since Walter Lilly v Mackay
Lawyers are coached into an ‘unnatural way of being’ (according to Elizabeth de Stadler of Novcon) which covers how they behave in meetings, how they interact with colleagues and clients and how they write – from emails to contracts. She says we need to unlearn those behaviours as they create
Financial limits in letters of intent are used to protect the client – because they rarely include a fixed price and are relying on ‘reasonable costs’ – and as an incentive for the contractor to sign the full contract. These limits on the client’s liability to pay for works are
There are two ways that law courts (at least in England) have interpreted contracts: literally and purposefully. The literal approach is the more classic or traditional way of interpreting documents. The problem with the literal approach is that it led contract writers into a number of sins: very detailed drafting
Who do we… who should we write contracts to please? Not, as you’ve noticed, who do we write contracts for. But who should we write contracts to please. If a client asks me to write a contract for their business, there are two primary readers I need to consider: my
Often in contracts, clauses relating to using and sharing information are split into ‘legal chapter headings’ ie topics that make sense to the contract writer but don’t necessarily reflect the needs of the contract user. When I create contracts I prefer a user-focused heading like ‘using and sharing documents and
The benefit of using a Defined Term (usually with initial capital letters) in a contract or legal document is that it makes it easier to read, and consistent. However… when used to excess they can easily backfire: elements of the commercial deal do not belong in a definitions section, acronyms
Boilerplate (a term adopted from the printing industry) refers to a series of short clauses at the end of a legal document or contract, often grouped under a heading of ‘general’ or ‘misc’. But this approach, treating them as irrelevant small print shoved at the back and rarely read, undermines
Although Marie Kondo might be the 21st minimalist icon, back in the 19th century William Morris said: have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful We can apply this approach to contracts. What do we know to be useful or
What do you really need for a collateral warranty on a construction project? This post sets out the graveyard ie those clauses your warranty DOESN’T need. (tl;dr anything beyond a promise to comply with the underlying contract is probably unnecessary) Quality, copyright and insurance Most warranties go above and beyond
© 2024 500 Words Ltd. All rights reserved
500 Words Ltd (8893252) r/o 20 Mulberry Close, Heald Green, Cheadle SK8 3NJ