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Katz & Associates / Before you sign
A contract can look complete but leave a key question open. Test the terms against delivery, payment, changes, and the end of the relationship.
Read for the next decision
A useful contract review starts with four questions. Who must do what? How will you know it is done? When is payment due? What happens if the plan changes? The goal is not merely to fill every heading in a template.
Clear terms can reduce unanswered questions, but clarity alone does not prove an agreement is enforceable. Business contract counsel can assess the wording, the transaction, and the law that applies.
Start above the fine print
Check the legal names of the parties, not just the brand names on their websites. Identify whether you are signing for a company, for yourself, or both. Read any guarantee rather than assuming a business signature leaves you with no personal duty.
Ask whether the person signing has the needed authority and approvals. A job title or an email signature may not answer every authority question. Keep the signing capacity clear in the document and supporting records.
Also check the full set of terms. An order form may refer to online conditions, a statement of work, exhibits, or another agreement. Which version applies? What happens if those documents conflict? Review the pieces together.
Make performance something you can recognize
Describe the deliverable, quantity, service level, deadline, and any input the other side must provide. “Complete the project” may mean different things to the two teams doing the work.
Ask how acceptance works. Who checks the work? How long do they have? What happens if they reject it, request a fix, or say nothing? A payment milestone tied to acceptance is hard to use if acceptance is undefined.
For changes, identify who can approve more work and how price and timing change. An informal request from a staff member can create confusion if the contract says only a named person may authorize it.
Run the agreement through ordinary problems
These are review prompts, not clauses ready to copy. For each event, locate the relevant terms and write down the unanswered question.
| If this happens | Find the answer in the agreement |
|---|---|
| Delivery is late | What deadline applies, what notice is required, and what options follow? |
| The customer requests extra work | Who approves the change, and how are price and time adjusted? |
| A deliverable is rejected | What standard applies, who decides, and is there a cure or review process? |
| A payment is missed | When was it due, what can be disputed, and what steps come before suspension or termination? |
| Either side wants to end the relationship | What notice, fees, handoff, final payment, and surviving duties apply? |
An original operational review aid. Finding an answer does not establish that the clause is lawful or suitable for the transaction.
Read the duties that survive a problem
Look for indemnity, insurance, warranties, limits on liability, and exclusions. An indemnity is a promise to bear certain losses or claims; its actual scope needs careful review. A heading that sounds standard can hide a large obligation.
For created work, ask who owns the rights, what each party may reuse, and what licenses are needed. Having the files or paying an invoice does not answer every ownership question. Our business intellectual-property guide explains how to check the evidence of rights.
If personal data or confidential information is involved, review access, permitted use, security duties, incident notices, return, and deletion. A vendor’s software or a confidentiality label does not settle all of those responsibilities.
Special terms such as noncompetes, professional restrictions, or regulated services need current legal review. Do not add them to every agreement simply because they appeared in a template.
Read the ending before the beginning
Put renewal and notice dates on a calendar before they become urgent. Check where a notice must go and how it must be sent. A message to a familiar contact may not satisfy the agreed procedure.
How does the agreement end at the normal term? What grounds allow an early exit? Ask how long a party has to fix a breach, often called a cure period. Check final invoices, deposits, transition help, and duties that continue afterward.
A dispute clause may require a step or forum you would not otherwise choose. Check negotiation, mediation, arbitration, court location, governing law, and fee provisions. Our guide to business dispute options explains why these routes are not always freely interchangeable.
Clear wording is one part of legal validity
Do not assume every oral agreement is unenforceable or every signed agreement is enforceable. Florida’s statute of frauds requires writing and signature for specified categories, not all possible contracts.
Sales of goods have their own rules. Section 672.201 generally requires a sufficient signed record for goods priced at $500 or more, with exceptions. That is not a rule that every kind of agreement over $500 needs a signature to be enforceable.
Electronic records and signatures can be valid under §668.50. Did the parties agree to deal electronically? Who made the signature? The law has exclusions, and other legal rules still apply. A click does not remove every other legal requirement.
Before signing, resolve marked blanks and confirm that the final version includes the right exhibits. Keep a full copy, plus the records of changes and approvals. Give the people performing the contract access to the terms they need to follow.
Bring the agreement and the business facts
Ask Katz & Associates to discuss the proposed terms, the work involved, and the risks that matter to your business before you commit.
Common questions
You can review it as a proposal, but “standard” does not mean it fits your transaction or balances the risks. Test the actual duties, payment, ownership, and exit terms.
No agreement can guarantee that. Clear, workable terms can reduce uncertainty, but legal validity, performance, evidence, and the parties’ conduct still matter.
Review before signing gives you a chance to ask questions or negotiate. If a dispute already exists, preserve the records and get advice about deadlines and required next steps.
About the author
By Katz & Associates. Published by Katz & Associates Law Firm.
This is general information, not a contract form or legal opinion about enforceability.
Sources checked October 26, 2026. Review prompts are illustrative, not a complete legal checklist.
