Clauses – 500 Words

A red sign on a farm gate. The white text says "beware of the bull" in capital letters. The sign is attached using plastic ties. A gravel path and greass lead into the background.

#24: It’s tricky

On this day in 1659, the first known British cheque was written for £400, or nearly £80,000 in today’s money. A cheque is a great example of using an expert (the bank) to carry out a task (paying someone) on your behalf. Read the full edition here Tricky Legal Conundrum

February 16, 2023

A stack (3 cans high by 8 cans wide) of red soda or pop cans, with red logos and a variety of names all mimicking Dr Pepper.

#22: Did you ever?

Does your attitude to copying depend on whether it’s something low value like a knock off branded drink or your own hard work? Before you saw the value in a unique contract, did you ever ask someone else for a copy of theirs so you could copy it/be inspired by

December 20, 2022

A man balances precariously on a highwire. The wire is tethered on the right, and behind a rocky cliff. The image is in black and white. The man weats a baseball cap and safety line with arms above his head for balance.

#21: In limbo

At the start of the pandemic, there were a lot of confused contractors and trades trying to work out if they could leave site. The virus was deadly and construction sites couldn’t really enforce a 2m rule for social distancing. But can you place the project in limbo and stop

November 17, 2022

A pale pink paper heart is torn and threaded on a striped string. The background is black. By Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

#20: Splitting up

The purpose of a contract is to give you both the right and the duty to provide the entire scope envisaged in your agreement ie all the agreed goods, works and/or services. But what if you want to split up before then? Read the full edition here Totally Legit Cancellation

October 20, 2022

A blue sign in a restaurant with a white image of a plate and cutlery. On top of the plate image are the words free wifi inside. There is a beachside restaurant in the background. By Bernard Hermant via Unsplash

#19: Lurking in the small print

Have you ever signed up for a holiday activity to find you’ve taken on responsibility you never expected? Or lied when ticking that you have read the terms and conditions for a wifi? Or failed to read the terms for the social media platforms or websites you use? You’d be

September 22, 2022

A line of silver heated dishes with their lids raised to display the dubious delights of a hot buffet. There is what looks like a noodle dish in the foreground.

#18: Where would you rather eat?

Where would you rather eat if you were on a budget? At a fixed price ‘all you can eat’ buffet or in a diner where the menus don’t come with any prices? Are you the sort of person who prefers a fixed rate mortgage, a tracker or a variable rate?

July 21, 2022

A series of train platforms at a brick-built station under a domed roof, with escalators allowing access and passengers milling around.

#17: Fail

Have you ever been swept up in dealing with something and forgotten to provide the information someone else really needed? Like the time my sister and I failed spectacularly to meet on a train station, because I did not explain my revised plan properly to her… she ended up in

June 23, 2022

The Eiffel Tower at dusk. The sky is just getting dark after a blue-sky day and the tower is lit by hundreds of white lights which add a sparkle and made the assembled crowds of tourists gasp with delight. By Sarah Fox

#16: Have you ever?

Have you ever made a promise to your kids that you wish you could have changed? Made a threat in anger that you’ll never carry out? Or made a list of resolutions that you just don’t want to continue with? If that’s what happens in your personal life, what about

May 26, 2022

A wodden-handled magnifying glass sits on top of a sheaf of mult-coloured papers, fanned to show bands of colour from cream, red, orange, yellow, pale green and blues.

#12: Finding a balance

Last month we considered quality standards, and this time we need to decide how to balance quality with other project objectives. Read the full edition here Traffic, Like Canoes? Are you sitting comfortably? Let me tell you a story about a road scheme in Cheshire where I live. The A555 road scheme

February 3, 2022

Against a pitch black sky, there are three bright fireworks exploding into a dazzling display of orange colour in a sunburst effect. There are wisps of red smoke at the bottom of the image.

#11: Is it good enough?

On my website there are loads of free resources and I love to get feedback about them. This week Gary from Luxembourg challenged whether the clause in my sample letter of intent asking a contractor to use reasonable skill and care was ‘good enough’. Read the full edition here Technical? Legal? Commercial?

January 6, 2022

TLC Topic: Clauses