31.Assumethereaderisaknowledgeablelayman.Ifyourwritingissoclearthatalaymancouldunderstandit,thenitislesslikelyitwillendupincourt.
32.Defineawordbycapitalizingitandputtingitinquotes.Capitalizingawordindicatesthatyouintendittohaveaspecialmeaning.Thefollowingaretwosampleclausesfordefiningterms:
Whereverusedinthiscontract,theword"Goods"shallmeanthegoodsthatBuyerhasagreedtopurchasefromSellerunderthiscontract.
BuyerherebyagreestopurchasefromSellerten(10)fryingpans,hereinaftercalledthe"Goods."
33.Definewordswhenfirstused.Insteadofwritingasectionofdefinitionsatthebeginningorendofacontract,considerdefiningtermsandconceptsastheyfirstappearinthecontract.Thiswillmakeiteasierforthereadertofollow.
KeepYourClientInformedWhileYouWrite
35.Allcontractsshouldcomewithacoverletter.Thisgivesyouaplacetoinstructyourclientonhowtouseandsignthecontract.
36.Tellyourclienttheideasthatcomeasyouwrite.Manyideaswilloccurtoyouasyouwrite:thingsthatcouldgowrongwiththedeal,thingsthatmighthappeninthefuture,thingsthathappenedinthepast,waystostructurethingsbetter.Writetheseinyourlettertotheclient.
37.Informyourclientoftherisks.Writingalettertotheclientasyouwritethecontractistheperfectwaytoinformtheclientoftherisksandrewardsofenteringintothecontract.Frequently,problemsdonotbecomeapparentuntiltimeisspenttryingtowordacontract.
WhatToDoAftertheFirstDraftIsWritten
40.Stamp"Draft#16/22/2000"onit.Thismaybethefirstofmanydrafts,soavoidconfusionearlybynumberinganddatingalldraftsatthetopofthefirstpage.Itisalsoagoodideatowrite"DRAFT"acrossthefaceofeachpagetoprecludethepossibilityofanimpatientclientsigningadraftratherthanwaitingforthefinalversion.
HowtoPrintandSigntheFinalDraft
44.Printthecontracton24poundbondpaperinsteadof20poundcopierpaper.Usingaheavybondpaperwillmakeiteasytotelltheoriginalcontractfromcopies.Itwillalsolastlonger.
45.Printonpagesusingthesamepaper,andifpagesarechanged,reprintthedocumentusingthesamepaper.Thiswillavoidanargumentthatpagesweresubstitutedafterthecontractwassigned.
46.Signthecontractinblueink,notblackink.This,too,willmakeiteasiertodifferentiatethesignedoriginalcontractfromphotocopies.
47.Initialeverypageofthecontract.Havingeachpartyinitialeachpageofthecontractwillmakeitlesslikelythatanyonecouldclaimapagewaschangedafterthecontractwassigned.
48.Identifythepartiesandwitnesseswhosignbyprovidingblanklinesbelowtheirsignaturelinesfortheirprintednamesandaddresses.Thiswillmakeiteasiertofindthewitnessesifthecontractiscontested.Andremembertoincludetwowitnessesforcommercialleases.
49.Besurethatcorporateofficersincludetheirtitles,thecorporationnameandtheword"as."Failuretodothiscanresultinpersonalliabilityoftheofficer.Theproperwaytosigninarepresentativecapacityisasfollows:
ABCCorporation,aFloridacorporation
By:____________________________________
JohnJones,asitsPresident
50.Addanotaryclausethatcomplieswiththenotarylaw.ThenotaryacknowledgementinAppendixBissuchaclause.
ConcludingAdvice
AppendixA(BasicFormofContract)
AGREEMENTmadethis_______dayof____________,20_____,between______________________,hereinaftercalled"_______________",and______________________,hereinaftercalled"_____________".
WHEREAS,________________;
WHEREAS,________________;and
NOWTHEREFORE,inconsiderationoftheirmutualpromisesmadeherein,andforothergoodandvaluableconsideration,receiptofwhichisherebyacknowledgedbyeachparty,theparties,intendingtobelegallybound,herebyagreeasfollows:
1.Recitals.Thepartiesagreethattheforegoingrecitalsaretrueandcorrectandincorporatedhereinbythisreference.
2.__________________.
INWITNESSWHEREOF,thepartieshavesignedthisagreementasofthedayandyearfirstabovewritten.
____________________________________________________(Seal)
____________________________
Witnesses
AppendixB(BasicFormofNotaryAcknowledgement)
STATEOFFLORIDA
COUNTYOF____________
Theforegoinginstrumentwasacknowledgedbeforemethis_____dayof__________________,20____,by_________.
NotaryPublic-StateofFlorida:
sign_________________________________
print________________________________
PersonallyKnown_____;ORProducedIdentification______
TypeofIdentificationProduced:____________________________
AffixSealBelow:
AppendixC(SampleLetterofIntentForm)
LETTEROFINTENTFORPOSSIBLE
CONTRACTFORSALEOFASSETS
PossibleSeller:_____________________________
PossibleBuyer:_____________________________
Business:_____________________________
Date:______________,20_____
Thisisanon-bindingletterofintentthatcontainsprovisionsthatarebeingdiscussedforapossiblesaleoftheBusinessnamedabovefromthepossibleSellernamedabovetothepossibleBuyernamedabove.Thisisnotacontract.Thisisnotalegallybindingagreement.Thisismerelyanoutlineofpossiblecontracttermsfordiscussionpurposesonly.ThisisbeingsignedinordertoenablethePossibleBuyertoapplyforfinancingofthepurchaseprice.Thisletterofintentisconfidentialandshallnotbedisclosedtoanyoneotherthanthepartiesandtheiremployees,attorneysandaccountantsandthepossiblelendersofthePossibleBuyer.Thetermsofthetransactionbeingdiscussedareattachedhereto,buttheterms(andthepossiblesaleitself)arenotbindingunlessanduntiltheyaresetforthinawrittencontractsignedbyPossibleSellerandPossibleBuyer.Theword"shall"isusedintheattachedtermsonlyasanexampleofhowacontractmightread,anditdoesnotmeanthattheattachedtermsareoreverwillbelegallybinding.
____________________________________________________
INTHECIRCUITCOURTFOR______________COUNTY,FLORIDA
PROBATEDIVISION
FILENUMBER_________
INRE:ESTATEOF
______________________,
DECEASED.
______________________________________
AGREEMENTmadebetweenthefollowingpersons:
PersonalRepresentative:_____________________________
Attorney:_____________________________
ResiduaryBeneficiaries:_____________________________
Nowtherefore,inconsiderationoftheirmutualpromisesstatedherein,thepartiesherebyagreethat:
1.HourlyRates.ThePersonalRepresentativehasretainedAttorneytoprovidelegalservicestothePersonalRepresentativeforadministrationoftheaboveprobateestateinFloridaathourlyratesof$_____forattorneytimeand$_____forparalegaltimeforallmattershandled,includingbutnotlimitedtoordinaryservicesandextraordinaryservices.
2.LimitationonFees.Notwithstandingtheforegoing,AttorneyagreesnottobillfeesforordinaryservicesofAttorneythatwouldexceedthepercentagefeesprovidedforinFloridaStatutesSection733.6171.
3.MonthlyBills.FeesshallbebilledbyAttorneyandpaidbythePersonalRepresentativeoutoftheassetsoftheEstateonamonthlybasis.Costsincurredforcopies,postage,longdistance,fax,FedEx,filingfees,andotheritemsshallalsobebilledandpaidatleastmonthly.
4.NoStatutoryPercentageFees.ThepartiesagreethattheprovisionsofthisFeeAgreementreplacetheprovisionsoftheapplicablestatutesandcaselawandthatAttorneywillnotchargefeesbaseduponapercentageoftheassetsorincomeoftheprobateestate.(FloridaStatutesSection733.6171providesthatthefollowingispresumedtobereasonablecompensationforordinaryservicesbytheattorneyforthePersonalRepresentative:$1,500forthefirst$40,000plus$750forthenext$30,000plus$750forthenext$30,000plus3%oftherestoftheinventoryvalueandincomeoftheprobateestateforordinaryservices.Thestatutealsoprovidesthattheattorney,personalrepresentativeandpersonsbearingtheimpactofthecompensationmayagreetocompensationdeterminedinadifferentmanner.Thestatutealsoprovidesthatattorneysareentitledtoadditionalcompensationforextraordinaryservices,suchasrealestate,adversaryproceedings,homestead,taxmatters,business,etc.)
5.FeeProceedings.IfthematteroffeesandcostsissubmittedtotheCourtforreviewordeterminationatanytime,feesandcostsshallbebilledbyandpaidtoAttorneyforsuchfeeproceedingonthesamebasisasotherfeesunderthisAgreement;i.e.,billedandpaidatleastmonthly.Inaddition,attorneystestifyingasexpertwitnessesonthematteroffeesshallbeentitledtofeesattheirusualhourlyrates,whichshallbepaidoutoftheestate.
6.JointRepresentation.ThepartiesagreethatAttorneyrepresents________________inhisorhercapacityasPersonalRepresentativeoftheEstateandalsoinhisorhercapacityasSuccessorTrusteeofTHE______________TRUST.Thepartiesunderstandthepotentialconflictofinterestarisingfromrepresentationofmultiplepartiesinmultipleroles.TheyunderstandthatifaconflictshouldeverdevelopbetweenthemultipleclientsconcerningtheEstateorTrust,thenAttorneywouldnotbeabletorepresenteitheroftheclientsinthatconflict.ThePersonalRepresentative,TrusteeandresiduarybeneficiariesareencouragedtoengagehisorherownseparatelawyerbeforesigningthisagreementiftheydesirelegaladviceconcerningthisFeeAgreementorconcerninganyotheraspectoftheprobateestateorTrust.
Underpenaltiesofperjury,wedeclarethatwehavereadtheforegoing,andthefactsallegedaretrue,tothebestofourknowledgeandbelief.