Overheard a lawyer at my bar say 'a handshake deal is just a lawsuit waiting to happen'

I was wiping down the counter last Friday night when two guys in suits were talking about a deal that fell apart. One, who I think was a lawyer, said that exact line to his friend. It stuck with me because my cousin just started a small landscaping business and he's always doing work based on a quick chat. I looked it up later and found a simple template for a basic service agreement online for free. It just has the work scope, price, and payment terms. I sent it to my cousin and he used it for a $2,500 backyard job. The client tried to add extra work for free at the end, but my cousin just pointed to the signed paper. It saved him a huge headache and maybe a lot of money. What's the simplest contract you've used that actually protected you?

3 comments

3 Comments

anthony_campbell883d ago

Honestly, a simple text message chain saved me once. I agreed to rent a room from a friend for a set price, and when they tried to raise it, I just scrolled up and showed them our old texts. It wasn't fancy, but having the terms in writing stopped the whole argument.

elliot_patel2d ago

Shows how often we rely on casual digital records as our real proof now.

jana_hart182d ago

Print a one page contract, it beats a handshake every time.