Recently we have noticed an influx of clients coming to us after they sign a contract, asking us what their rights are.
We’re always polite and helpful, but internally we shake our heads. Help us, help you!
We then have the hard task of telling those clients that they have signed certain rights away that they did not even realize, and we are left negotiating from a disadvantage.
While yes, we are here to help you get out of a jam, we are also here to help avoid issues you may not even foresee.
If you receive a contract from another party, don’t be suckered in by the legalese and fancy formatting. The Agreement may appear ready for your signature, but you shouldn’t just sign it and accept the terms as-is. Chances are that the agreement is written to provide the greatest benefit to the party providing the contract. By signing, you could be agreeing to terms that are extremely unfair and unreasonable for your business or even you personally.
We look out for all your exit strategies, should relations between the parties sour. We also point out what rights you have if the other party fails to uphold their end of the bargain. Then the fun part – we negotiate the terms.
In our practice, we often see two types of clients – those that are overly optimistic regarding their business relations with another party, and those that have been burned and turned into skeptics.
We help you stay optimistic by weeding out all the possible landmines laid out silently in a contract. We help you avoid being blindsided.
So say it with me… “Before I sign, I’m going to have my lawyer take a look at this first.”
Robin K. Mann, Associate Lawyer