We were being asked to change most of the essential conditions of the contract and opposing counsel was assuring me these were only minor changes. It was the most law I had ever learned in such a short period of time and it all happened in a phone booth. That was my first introduction to understanding a complex contract. Happily, my subsequent dealings and learning experiences have been in more pleasant and roomier surroundings. The reason for my telling you this is because it is possible to read and understand contracts.
Most people feel that contracts are impossible to understand.
Well, actually some contracts are, like real estate agreements that contain never-ending sentences, written in archaic language, and repeated over and over again for certainty's sake. However, these type of agreements are the exception. Most contracts in ordinary commercial relations can be understood even if one is not a seasoned contracting specialist. In business, you must know what you are doing and why. In order to manage commercial risks, you must understand, at a minimum, the binding and enforceable commitments and promises you are making to third parties and you must also know those commitments and promises that are being made to you.