#contracts
Client contracts, scope of work agreements, and legal documentation for service businesses
South Dakota HB 1180 voids ownership-transfer non-competes past three years from July 1, 2026 — rewrite duration, scope and geography before closing.
A GMP contract caps a cost-plus job: the owner pays actual costs plus fee up to the ceiling, and the contractor absorbs overruns unless a change order moves it.
A certificate of insurance confers no rights — only the endorsement does. What additional insured status covers, the CG 20 10/20 37 forms, and what it costs.
A $5.50 latte costs $0.95–$1.40 to pour, but event fees, commissary rent, and unpaid setup eat the margin — cost every drink and set a contract minimum.
Your client list is only a trade secret if you protected it first — inventory secrets, sign NDAs with the DTSA notice, and lock down access.
A mutual NDA binds both sides — and the residuals clause, the marking rules, and two separate clocks decide whether yours survives a dispute.
Tech E&O insurance pays your legal defense and damages when buggy code, bad advice, or missed deadlines cost a client money — solo policies run $60–$110/month.
A401's pay-if-paid clause decides whether a slow-paying owner becomes your problem. What A101, A201 and A401 each do, and which blanks to negotiate first.
A "$1 per sale" charity promise makes you a commercial co-venturer in 20+ US states. Register in 7, name the number in every ad, and avoid the IRS UBIT trap.
US SaaS vendors face enterprise escrow demands. Self-service plans start near $139/month and traditional agents around $2,200 — negotiate release triggers and book setup, annual, and verification fees.
In a contract for deed, the seller keeps legal title until your last payment while you pay the taxes, insurance, and repairs. Since the CFPB's 2024 advisory opinion, covered sellers must assess ability to repay, disclose the APR, and face limits on balloon payments.
A federal termination for convenience is not a lost contract — it is a settlement claim. This guide covers the three deadlines (120 days for inventory schedules, one year for the final proposal, 90 days for an equitable adjustment), the four cost buckets plus recoverable settlement expenses, the SF 1435/1436/1438/1439 forms, and the cost segregation that decides how much you actually recover.
