Small Print
The clause that says the rest survives if one part fails
A severability provision is a repair instruction, telling any later reader what to do with the document if…
· 4 min read
Small Print
The clause that matters, in the document nobody finishes reading.
20 articles · page 2 of 2
Small Print
Why “may”, “will” and “must” are never used loosely
The auxiliary verbs in a document are its load-bearing words: each one assigns a different degree of…
· 3 min read
Small Print
The documents an agreement quietly brings in with it
A single line referring to terms published elsewhere can attach dozens of pages you have never seen, and…
· 3 min read
Small Print
Why an agreement is numbered the way it is
Clause numbering is a navigation system with rules of its own, and the headings above those numbers are…
· 3 min read
Small Print
What at our discretion is doing in a set of terms
A discretion clause does not say what will happen; it says who decides, and the words around it quietly…
· 3 min read
Small Print
What the background section at the front of an agreement is for
The paragraphs before clause one are not part of the deal, and knowing why they were included tells you…
· 3 min read
Small Print
Who else can end up on the other side of your agreement
The party you dealt with can be replaced without your involvement, and a short clause near the back is what…
· 3 min read
Small Print
The signature block is a set of statements, not a space to sign
The lines around a signature record who is signing, on whose behalf and in what role, and each of those is…
· 3 min read