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Practical guides to organising records and preparing for legal discussions. Browse a topic or search a question.
Indemnity clauses — defining the covered risk
Identify the events, losses and claim process the indemnity is intended to cover. A broad label can conceal important limits or uncontrolled exposure.
DocumentsGuarantee clauses — what is being promised?
Identify the principal debt, creditor, surety and scope of the promise. A guarantee is different from an indemnity, and its wording can create significant personal…
DocumentsConfidentiality agreements and practical information controls
Define the information, permitted purpose and recipients clearly. An NDA should work with actual access and handling arrangements rather than replace them.
DocumentsNon-compete and restraint-of-trade clauses
Do not assume every non-compete is valid because both parties signed it. Timing, scope, statutory exceptions and the actual relationship matter.
DocumentsForce majeure and impossibility of performance
Read the agreed clause before invoking a disruption. Increased cost or inconvenience should not automatically be described as legal impossibility.
DocumentsAssignment, novation and changing a contracting party
Changing who performs or receives payment may require more than sending revised bank details. Assignment and substitution of a contracting party are different…
DocumentsSettlement and release of a contract claim
Specify which claims, parties and obligations the settlement resolves and when the release takes effect. An agreed amount alone may leave performance and…
DocumentsSigning, stamping and registering an agreement
These are separate requirements. A signed document should not be assumed to satisfy every applicable stamp or registration rule.
DocumentsPower-of-attorney instructions — limit the intended authority
State exactly what the agent may do, for whom and for how long. Broad wording can permit acts beyond the principal's practical intention.
DocumentsAffidavits — separating knowledge, records and belief
Use a truthful factual account and identify the basis of each statement. Formal attestation does not make an inaccurate assertion reliable.