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When it’s time to draft a contract, how do you approach it? At Cronin Skilton & Skilton, P.L.L.C. in Nashua and Charles City, IA, the experienced contract lawyers focus on planning and clarity. The attorneys concentrate on the small details of each agreement to ensure it states exactly what the parties intend. Here, they share tips for drafting clear-cut contracts.  

A Contract Lawyer Offers 5 Tips for Drafting

1. Prepare an Outline

Before drafting contracts, ask the clients to outline the agreement as they understand it. This exercise helps them to be clear on what they agreed to and gives the lawyer a blueprint for drafting. The outline reveals missing pieces or issues the client did not consider or address.  

2. Avoid Wordiness

A common tactic is using lots of big words when drafting contracts. Use fewer and simpler words to reduce confusion and error; be clear and concise.        

3. Apply Consistency

contract-lawyer-Nashua-IA-&-Charles-City-IAUse terms and phrases consistently for clarity. If the contract starts by identifying one party as the landlord and the other as the tenant, continue using landlord and tenant throughout the document. 

4. Use Words & Numerals for Numbers

Experienced contract lawyers state figures in contracts by using words and numerals. This technique helps ensure the numbers are correct. If commas or decimal points are misplaced, or if the figures are not what the parties intended, it’s easy to see and fix the errors.   

5. Make a Civil Litigation Plan

Even the best contract lawyers can end up with clients in civil litigation. Plan for this outcome with contract clauses that state what jurisdiction’s law applies in interpreting the agreement and where any lawsuit must be filed. A clause requiring an attempt at alternative dispute resolution before filing a suit can save time and money for everyone later.

When you want an experienced contract lawyer to memorialize your agreement and draft precise documents according to your best interests, contact Cronin Skilton & Skilton, P.L.L.C, in Iowa. Call the Nashua office at (641) 435-2462 or the Charles City office at (641) 228-3318. For more about the firm’s legal services, visit them online.

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