Every professional writer knows that [a] period of just-sitting-and-thinking between legwork and outline is the most important part of the whole writing process Rudolph Flesch, Art of Readable Writing As busy professionals we rarely have time to stop and think. But using your subconscious to create order from the wealth
Getting a contract wet signed (pen & ink) is becoming increasingly difficult when many clients are virtual, businesses do not have offices, and the cost of postage outweighs the benefits. In the construction industry, parties often start with the intention of getting a signed contract, but these good intentions are
If you are writing a contract, you should really make sure that its terms are simple and effective. You need to ask: do both parties understand what it does? what is it meant to do? does it actually do? when would it apply? how does it transfer risk? Lessons from
Many years ago, I sat in Ed’s diner at Euston Station (London) waiting for my train. I was chatting to my sister and she challenged me to write a contract in just 500 words. In a rash moment I agreed, and being a woman of my word, I had to
Stephen R Covey’s 7 Habits are principles to help you become highly effective. There are astonishing parallels with my specialist area of law – contracts. In brief, the first six of the 7 habits can be summarised as ‘make and keep a promise’ and ‘involve others and work out a
Which? (a lobbying organisation) has started a campaign to end baffling terms and conditions. They want to make it simple to know what you are signing up for. Since October 2015, the Consumer Rights Act has required terms to be fair, transparent and prominent. Transparent and prominent respectively mean: expressed
As the judge in Twintec v Volkerfitzpatrick said: As with so many things, the simplest solution is often the best When you next write a collateral warranty, construction contract or letter of intent, keep it simple. The survey of contract users reported in the 1995 Latham Report proposed that simple
A good speech is like a skirt – it should be short enough to be interesting and long enough to cover the essentials… Churchill The same is true of a good contract. Short enough to be read. Long enough to cover the essentials. In the construction industry, we have (2018)
Contracts are tools to help you do business, and in that sense, you (rather than a lawyer) might be the perfect person to write your own contract. This might seem counter-intuitive coming from a contract specialist, who helps companies to write their own contracts. When I work with clients, I
There isn’t one way to draft a contract or legal document, whatever you may have been told. These tips will help you create a better contract. Any Format In England/Wales, there is no specific format or style or content for most contracts. It doesn’t even have to be written down.