Compliance Centre

Contracts

Every commercial relationship is governed by something. The only question is whether it is a document you chose or a set of assumptions you did not.

EducationalCompliance topicLast reviewed 2026-08-14No named reviewer yet

What it covers

The scope of this area, in general terms.

Customer, supplier, employment, contractor, partnership and financing agreements.
How agreements are formed, varied and brought to an end.
Allocation of risk: liability caps, indemnities, warranties and insurance requirements.
Dispute resolution, governing law and forum - including arbitration under the Arbitration and Mediation Act 2023.

When it becomes relevant

Circumstances in which this area usually matters. This is not a test of whether an obligation applies to you — that depends on your specific situation and should be confirmed with the relevant authority.

You buy from, sell to, hire, or partner with anyone.
You trade on standard terms - your own or someone else's.
You are relying on a course of dealing rather than a signed document.
You are about to renew, vary or exit an existing agreement.

Good practice

Practices businesses commonly put in place. Educational, not prescriptive.

Keep one signed, complete copy of every agreement, including annexes incorporated by reference.
Diarise renewal and notice windows on the day of signature.
Set an internal rule about who may sign and up to what value.
Have a standard set of terms for the things you do repeatedly.
Read the liability, termination and dispute clauses before the commercial schedule.

Common gaps

How this area usually goes wrong — rarely through bad faith, and almost always through nobody owning it.

Agreements that were negotiated but never signed by both parties.
Purchase orders and master agreements that contradict each other.
Automatic renewals nobody tracked.
No written terms at all with the largest customer or supplier.
No data-protection terms in agreements that plainly involve personal data.

When to involve a lawyer

When to speak to a lawyer

The agreement is material to the business, or hard to exit.
Unlimited liability, an uncapped indemnity or a personal guarantee is proposed.
Foreign law, a foreign forum or cross-border performance is involved.
You are drafting the standard terms the business will use everywhere.

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What it covers

When it becomes relevant

Good practice

Common gaps

When to involve a lawyer

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What it covers

When it becomes relevant

Good practice

Common gaps

When to involve a lawyer

Related across the platform