Decide in advance which terms you are willing to negotiate and which are non-negotiable. By bringing this list to your lawyer, you will cut down on billable hours and reduce your legal expenses. Depending on complexity, the contract may contain many other sub-sections as required. The Term of the Contract. Identify the commencement date and the end date.
Additional terms depend on the nature of the agreement.
Amendments and Alternations. If governing law is stated as the law of your own state, province, or country, you will save yourself costly travel expenses if conflict occurs. Include a clause stipulating that either party will not be held responsible for activities of the other that may be a breach of the contract or that may occur outside of the contract. For example, if an artist sells you a digital image as his original work, but he has actually stolen it from someone who owns the copyright, then you do not want to be responsible for any damages or legal fees arising out of that action. The last page, of course, includes the witnessed and dated signatures of persons who are authorized to sign on behalf of each party.