To get to acceptance faster:

1. make the contract concise,
2. in plain language,
3. easy to read,
4. with a good looking layout, and
5. ensure the contract structure logically follows the order of intended workflows and business processes.

We could go on. There’s a lot of engineering in a well-drafted contract. We have decades of experience and run lectures for lawyers on contract drafting. Call us for a complementary discussion on your needs.

The long “tombstone” or traditional agreement layout is best for only some situations. The alternatives are usually better.

• Most people find a letter agreement layout is easier to read.
• The same is the case with *form agreement* layouts with fill-in fields on the cover page and provisions on other pages. Brevity is a benefit of letter and form format agreements.
• A schedulised agreement layout is typically longer than a letter or form layout but shares their many benefits. Here a two column cover page schedule sets out variables. In a traditional agreement layout the variables appear in the body of the agreement, they are not neatly grouped on the cover page.

Each of the alternatives suits specific situations. Call for a complementary conversation about your requirements for an in-house template agreement. It is certain to reduce negotiation time, protect you legally and save you money and many types of headaches.

Generally the differences affect a few clauses only.

• Compliance with specific local laws is critical for a cross-border contract. This involves a governing law clause which appropriately sets the ruling law and jurisdiction.
• Special legal requirements apply for trade with some countries (eg those where sanctions apply or which have country-specific legal requirements).
• Certain types of goods or services have unique legal requirements for labelling, approvals, notices or registration (eg pharmaceuticals, electrical and electronic goods, food and alcoholic beverages).
• The contract can be written in dual or multiple languages (eg English and Chinese) but select the one to apply for official interpretation (eg Chinese if the law of China applies).

In a rough order of priority:

1. gather all instructions before drafting begins
2. note keywords for the type of required contract
3. sketch a visualisation of the workflow or business process
4. aim to draft with as few drafts and reviews as possible

Since the same base template can be used, a standard template saves on in-house training and processing time to get a contract out. Even better, recipients accept them quickly if they are well-designed.

We are specialists in drafting short format business-specific contracts for use in-house standards. Call and we’ll assess your circumstances free of charge to select a suitable layout – traditional, letter, form or schedulised.

A deal or plan for one. To get there you need to identify the industry, client, product and situation-specific deal points. These will shape and determine selection of a suitable business model. To get that you need research.

Fast track: call us for a complementary conversation about your needs. We’ll follow up with pointers for your next direction.