Thanks for all your encouraging comments and thoughts.
@Micheil: “One thing I did pick up on though was in the 2nd section, after the list, you’ve got “Stiff and Nonsense”.. might want to correct that ;)”
— @andi farr got that right. It’s all part of the hard boiled theme.
@Aaron Russell: “Is there a danger that an informal approach like this – whilst making the contract process easier-going for the majority of your clients – actually might leave you open to risk from the small minority of problem-clients?”
— Not in my experience, but I’m no dick or flat-foot. As @drewm pointed out, you should always have your contracts looked over by your lawyer.
@Kevin Davies: “One important piece of advice the law firm gave me is to make sure my contract is the last documented agreement on the issue. If I raise a contract which is signed, and they then raise a purchase order for me to work to, it may be I’m legally obliged to work to my client’s terms rather than mine.”
— Now that is an incredibly useful thing to know (I didn’t).
@John Faulds: “Do you ever find that the familiar language of the contract leads some to think they don’t need to take it as seriously as one written in a more legalese style?”
— Never happened to me. Clients small and large have always understood it, accepted it (sometimes with specific clauses altered) and it made them laugh too. Never a bad thing.
@Ryan Merrill: “Have you had any horror stories with people trying to break this contract?”
— Not really. I find that the clearer that you make things sound, the less room for misinterpretation there is and fewer possibilities for people to act like snakes.
Malarkey
Thanks for all your encouraging comments and thoughts.
@Micheil: “One thing I did pick up on though was in the 2nd section, after the list, you’ve got “Stiff and Nonsense”.. might want to correct that ;)”
— @andi farr got that right. It’s all part of the hard boiled theme.
@Aaron Russell: “Is there a danger that an informal approach like this – whilst making the contract process easier-going for the majority of your clients – actually might leave you open to risk from the small minority of problem-clients?”
— Not in my experience, but I’m no dick or flat-foot. As @drewm pointed out, you should always have your contracts looked over by your lawyer.
@Kevin Davies: “One important piece of advice the law firm gave me is to make sure my contract is the last documented agreement on the issue. If I raise a contract which is signed, and they then raise a purchase order for me to work to, it may be I’m legally obliged to work to my client’s terms rather than mine.”
— Now that is an incredibly useful thing to know (I didn’t).
@John Faulds: “Do you ever find that the familiar language of the contract leads some to think they don’t need to take it as seriously as one written in a more legalese style?”
— Never happened to me. Clients small and large have always understood it, accepted it (sometimes with specific clauses altered) and it made them laugh too. Never a bad thing.
@Ryan Merrill: “Have you had any horror stories with people trying to break this contract?”
— Not really. I find that the clearer that you make things sound, the less room for misinterpretation there is and fewer possibilities for people to act like snakes.