Web Design Contract

Sully

Does anyone use web design contracts and if so, how many pages? I am concerned that the one we have begun using is about 10 pages without listing the work being undertaken. So, its a bit long of a read.

Eoin

Sully wrote: »

Does anyone use web design contracts and if so, how many pages? I am concerned that the one we have begun using is about 10 pages without listing the work being undertaken. So, its a bit long of a read.

10 pages?? I would have thought 1 or 2 pages would cover the legal aspects?

mneylon

I wouldn't worry about the length of the contract too much, as long as the services were clearly outlined.

Sully

eoin_s wrote: »

10 pages?? I would have thought 1 or 2 pages would cover the legal aspects?

Iv seen those type of contracts and they dont cover very much. Just skimp on the basic requirements.

The contract im using is long, but covers everything (in general) and also describes (in detail) the work being undertaken. I just wondered was it to long?

The Mighty Ken

If you have a contract and you're unsure about it, you should always pay a solicitor to approve and/or reword it for you. An improperly written contract will be torn up in a claims court.

Sully

The Mighty Ken wrote: »

If you have a contract and you're unsure about it, you should always pay a solicitor to approve and/or reword it for you. An improperly written contract will be torn up in a claims court.

It has been checked and given the approval. The content is fine, but he never commented on the length. Was just curious as to if it was to long?

Bob the Builder

Joe Duffy had a show one morning a while back about contracts and legal obligations, etc. What the solicitor on that show was saying was that length didn't matter at all, once it covered everything in precise detail and you gave the potential client sufficient time to read it (by law).

Evil Phil

If my solicitor was happy with it then I would be. You should be fine.

Sully

nevf wrote: »

Joe Duffy had a show one morning a while back about contracts and legal obligations, etc. What the solicitor on that show was saying was that length didn't matter at all, once it covered everything in precise detail and you gave the potential client sufficient time to read it (by law).

What would be considered sufficient time?

The one thing my solicitor had concerns about was when a website was completed that he wondered should we have some sort of disclaimer stating we were not responsible for the content of the website when its released to the public to avoid libel since that our name may appear as producer of the website and if defamatory matter appears on the website it could be argued we published it.

Evil Phil

I'm not a legal bod but would you not copywrite content to the site owner?

I generally have the footer read:

© Copyright 2008 - Whoever Ltd
Developed by My Company

Eoin

Sully wrote: »

What would be considered sufficient time?

The one thing my solicitor had concerns about was when a website was completed that he wondered should we have some sort of disclaimer stating we were not responsible for the content of the website when its released to the public to avoid libel since that our name may appear as producer of the website and if defamatory matter appears on the website it could be argued we published it.

Both of these questions are what you are paying for your solicitor to find out for you - if he is wondering out loud what your liability could be, I would be quick enough to ask him to find out for sure, rather than letting you try and figure it out yourself.

Sully

eoin_s wrote: »

Both of these questions are what you are paying for your solicitor to find out for you - if he is wondering out loud what your liability could be, I would be quick enough to ask him to find out for sure, rather than letting you try and figure it out yourself.

I was asking the second one as an opinion to other designers and their approach

Eoin

Sully wrote: »

I was asking the second one as an opinion to other designers and their approach

I understand, but make sure you get your value for money!

Evil Phil's suggestion sounds right to me, plus you could also ask the solicitor to explicitly lay out your client's responsibility for the content in the contract.

By the way, if at all possible I would separate the legal jargon from the details about the site you are developing, otherwise it could be very tedious each time you need to draw up a spec.

Ryco Web

It all depends on the job in question. Some larger organisations will want all eventuallities listed whilst other small companies will surfice with a 1 or 2 page contract. Have two to hand, one for larger contracts 10-20 pages and one for smaller websites or designs.