It is Perfectly Legal to write your own contract. Many contracts have been negotiated and agreed upon by parties without the involvement of lawyers. A contract is just an agreement between parties. People enter into agreements all the time. Sometimes they shake hands, sign a credit card slip or rent a car. Some agreements are in writing. Courts will enforce such “homemade” contracts assuming they can figure out what the parties agreed upon, and assuming the contract does not violate public policy -- You can’t, for example, expect a court to uphold a contract for a hit man to get rid of your mother-in-law. 

While it is perfectly legal to write your own contract that is not to say it is always a smart move. Most of the time a lawyer will likely do a better job of it than a layman. Lawyers typically attend law school for three years and pass a bar exam before they can practice law. They understand legal jargon and can help their clients avoid unknown pitfalls.  

The most important concern when drafting a contract is that it is clear, precise and covers all the bases.  Parties need to understand their respective obligations to one another. And if a dispute arises, a judge needs to be able to understand the terms agreed upon. If a judge can’t figure out what the parties agreed to, the judge can’t enforce the deal.

Some people just don’t want to consult a lawyer. There could be several reasons for their stubbornness, such as 1) they just hate lawyers, although they may not know any but they’ve watched a lot of L.A. Law and seen Judge Judy in action. These people would rather have a root canal rather than visit a lawyer; 2) they just can’t afford legal advice. Lawyers do charge for their time, often a lot; 3) they are just one of those self-reliant individualists who like to handle such tasks themselves.

Whatever the reason, the legal contracts on this website are available for your use, whether you are a lawyer or not. But you use them at your own risk.

Visit our links section for information on some sites that offer free legal information that you may find helpful.  Many government sites, such as those run by the Copyright Office or the Patent and Trademark Office provide extensive information and allow visitors to download forms at no charge. There are many organizations dedicated to assisting artists obtain legal representation such as California Lawyers for the Arts, and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts in New York and Art Serve in Michigan.  A list of such organizations is found in the links section of the site. Many of these groups offer free information and an initial consultation with a lawyer for a nominal fee.

Law libraries are usually open to the public. With everyone on the internet these days, librarians may be delighted to have a visitor and willing to spend a lot of time helping you. There are numerous self-help legal books. Nolo Press publishes books in plain language meant to be understood by non-lawyers. And, of course, there are numerous internet sites that offer advice. See our links section for some of the most useful. 

The contracts on this site were drafted by lawyers and are the types of contracts frequently relied upon by lawyers. But if you don’t understand what all the legal mumbo jumbo means, you really should re-consider whether it is wise for you to do it yourself. Avoiding lawyers may save you some money in the short term, but making a bad decision can costly in the long term. The use of form contracts is not a substitute for a lawyer who can customize a form to suit your needs and explain to you what it all means. The best we can say of these forms is that they are probably better for you than writing a deal on a napkin, or relying on a handshake. Please read our full disclaimer.

WE OFFER FULL MONEY BACK GUARANTEE ON ALL OUR FORMS. IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND, WHATEVER THE REASON, YOU CAN HAVE A COMPLETE REFUND WITHIN 30 DAYS OF PURCHASE. THERE IS A LIMIT OF THREE RETURNS PER PURCHASER.

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