Small Print
Auto-renewal is a calendar, not a decision
Rolling agreements run on dates fixed at the beginning, and understanding the dates explains why cancelling…
· 3 min read
Small Print
The clause that matters, in the document nobody finishes reading.
20 articles · page 1 of 2
Small Print
Why the clause that matters is never the one in bold
Emphasis in a contract marks what somebody was required to draw attention to, which is a different question from what will affect you most.
By Tanmay Ghosh · · 4 min read
Small Print
The definitions page is where the document is actually written
Defined terms quietly rewrite the meaning of ordinary words, which is why the section everybody skips…
· 4 min read
Small Print
Why “up to” and “from” carry more weight than the number beside them
The qualifier in a headline figure is not filler; it defines which single case the number describes and…
· 4 min read
Small Print
Why the terms have a version number in the footer
Document control is the unglamorous machinery that decides which version of an agreement governs, and it…
· 4 min read
Small Print
The clause that describes how the clauses can be changed
A variation clause decides whether the document you agreed to is a fixed thing or a moving one, and it is…
· 4 min read
Small Print
What the governing law and jurisdiction lines are doing at the end
Two short sentences name which country’s rules interpret the document and where any dispute would be heard…
· 3 min read
Small Print
What the word reasonable is doing in a contract
Reasonable is not vagueness that survived the drafting; it is a deliberate device for handling situations…
· 3 min read
Small Print
The notices clause decides when you were told
A short provision about addresses and delivery methods determines the date every other deadline in the…
· 3 min read
Small Print
Why every list ends with including but not limited to
The phrase looks like padding and is a deliberate instruction about how the list that follows should be…
· 3 min read
Small Print
A policy, a procedure and a guideline are three different documents
The three words are used interchangeably in conversation and mean quite specific and different things…
· 3 min read
Small Print
The clause that says nothing said beforehand counts
An entire agreement provision draws a line around the document and declares that everything outside it…
· 3 min read