Before signing any contract, business owners should engage a skilled Contract Review Lawyer to examine the terms to protect their interests. A legal expert ensures payment terms, termination clauses, and dispute resolution processes align with your business goals while minimising risks. Reviewing contracts during their lifecycle and before renewal prevents costly mistakes and legal disputes.
Why Every Business Owner Needs a Skilled Lawyer for Contract Review
Running a business means dealing with contracts regularly. Whether you’re negotiating with suppliers and business partners, hiring contractors, or setting up service agreements, having a skilled Contract Review Lawyer examine your final contract before signing is essential.
Sometimes, your Lawyer isn’t available on short notice, or you don’t have an in-house legal team. Other times, engaging a law firm might not be within your budget.
Regardless, as a business owner, you need to ensure that every contract is reviewed by a legal expert to protect your business from unnecessary risks. Need a Construction Contract Review? Rachelle Hare has over 25 years of full-time experience as a front-end Construction Lawyer, Commercial Manager and Contract Manager in top tier firms, government (including Defence) and in Tier 1 and Tier 2 construction companies such as Theiss, Laing O’Rourke, Acciona, Golding, UGL and many more.
What is Contract Review?
Contract review involves carefully reading and analysing a contract, whether it’s a draft or already signed. The goal during the contract review process is to identify terms that could increase risk, impose obligations that may be difficult to meet, or create financial exposure and hardship for the parties involved.
A skilled Contract Review Lawyer from our experienced legal team can pinpoint these issues and advise you on necessary changes to the legal agreement before you commit.
There are three key points when legal review of your contract is necessary:
Before signing a new contract – Ensuring that terms in the final contract align with your business needs and legal protections and that the contract complies with relevant laws. This includes identifying financial risk, making sure the contracting process works for your business, advising on each party’s obligations, identifying key terms, and noting automatic renewal language, opt out windows and unclear terms.
During the contract’s lifecycle – Managing obligations and identifying risks while the agreement is in effect and helping to manage claims and dispute resolution with the other party, including advising on dispute resolution mechanisms and key terms.
Before modifying or renewing an agreement – Confirming that changes, renewals, or extensions are legally valid and beneficial to your business.
Why Get Your Contracts Reviewed?
Contract Reviews by experienced Contract Review Lawyers:
Protection and Compliance – Ensure understanding of obligations, rights, and liabilities, compliance with laws, and prevention of legal issues and disputes.
Alignment with Business Goals – Make sure the contract is aligned with business objectives and risk tolerance and that it fosters favourable terms for long-term success.
Understanding Your Contract – Help you know exactly what you’re agreeing to, interpret legal jargon, explain key terms (eg renewal terms), ensure fair and transparent terms, and help you make informed decisions and prevent unexpected surprises.
Support your Legal Team – Many of our clients have their own legal team, but need our help to build capacity or provide specialist skillsets (for example, Rachelle Hare is a 25-year specialist in front-end Construction Law and Major Projects as well as being a specialist Contract Lawyer).
Stakeholder Needs – Help you meet the needs of your internal colleagues and stakeholders within your business (or outside, eg financiers) and also help you manage your relationship with the other party.
Strategic Advantage – A deep understanding of your contract aligns with strategic planning, negotiation, and execution, empowering confident and decisive actions that support your business strategy.
Risk Allocation – A clear understanding of risk allocation provisions can help your business ensure that risks are understood and can be managed, mitigated, accepted or transferred by your business. Legal professionals are best placed to advise on these risks.
Why You Need a Lawyer to Review Your Contracts
While a Lawyer is responsible for drafting contracts, a business owner must ensure the terms reflect commercial and operational needs. However, without the input of experienced legal professionals, it’s easy to overlook critical details that could impact your business.
Contracts affect various aspects of your business, including:
Financial Commitments – Payment terms, penalties, and cost structures.
Operational Responsibilities – Deliverables, timelines, and performance expectations.
Risk Management – Indemnities, warranties, and dispute resolution processes.
Legal Compliance – Ensuring your business does not inadvertently agree to unfair or illegal clauses.
Relationship with the other party – Claiming, notices, and dispute resolution mechanisms.
A Contract Review Lawyer ensures that these elements are aligned with your company’s best interests, helping to prevent costly mistakes and legal issues. They can also draft a Contract Review Checklist for you, to make reviewing your next contract easier.
The Blaze Business & Legal Advantage: More Than Just Legal Advice
At Blaze Business & Legal, we understand that contracts aren’t just about legal wording. They impact your operations, finances, and overall business strategy. That’s why our Business Contract Review Lawyer can help you with your contracts.
Unlike traditional law firms, we combine legal expertise with commercial and operational experience and advice to provide contract review services that align with your actual business constraints and your company’s best interests.
We provide:
Tailored Solutions: We assess contracts with your specific commercial objectives in mind, not just legal compliance.
Clear, Actionable Advice: We strip away the legal jargon, help you understand potential ramifications, and provide you with clear recommendations to protect your interests.
Risk Reduction & Opportunity Maximisation: Our dual expertise in business and law allows us to spot both hidden risks and potential advantages within your contracts.
Cost-Effective Approach: We help you prevent expensive legal disputes by ensuring your contracts are watertight from the outset.
Compliance with Law: We help you protect your business by improving compliance with relevant laws.
Contract Review Checklist: We can also draft you a tailored Contract Review Checklist to help you in future reviews.
Your contracts should be a tool for business growth, not a source of stress. Let Blaze Business & Legal help you negotiate and finalise agreements that work for your business, not against it.
Ask about our Document Review services today.
What does Blaze Business & Legal offer?
Blaze Business & Legal offers:
Specialist and Experienced Senior Lawyers – Rachelle Hare has advised thousands of different businesses across dozens of industries, private sector and government and has carried out hundreds of contract reviews for different parties over her career. She offers her Contract Review expertise in the context of this deep Industry expertise.
Certainty of Price – We operate on a fair fixed-fee model, ensuring transparency over your legal fees and no surprises. You always know what we’re going to bill and when we’re going to bill it.
Working To Your Timeframes – Our responsive review process means you get the support from our legal team you need, when you need it. We’re not bound by office hours, and we’re more than happy to start work the moment we sign you on as our client and you send us the contract. Same-day turnaround? Let us know your deadlines, and we’ll work with you to meet them.
Identification of Legal Risks – Our Contract Review Lawyers can spot clauses that may be unfavourable and recommend provisions tailored to your business needs.
Ensuring Compliance with Relevant Laws – Our lawyers give the contract a thorough examination to make sure that the contract complies with legislative requirements.
Understand Future Implications – We help you understand what the contract means for your business’s future, ensuring it aligns with your goals.
Ensure a Good Deal – Our lawyers will guide you in negotiating terms that benefit both parties involved rather than just one party, making the most out of your business relationships and making the agreement work.
Nationwide Service – Our Contract Review Lawyers are accessible across Australia, providing expert legal support wherever you are throughout the review process.
Trust and Confidence – With a Contract Review Lawyer from Blaze Business & Legal, you can proceed with confidence, knowing that your contracts are legally robust and aligned with your interests.
Comprehensive Legal Support – From identifying unfavourable terms to suggesting necessary amendments, our Contract Review Lawyers provide end-to-end support, guiding you through the entire process.
Choosing a Contract Lawyer at Blaze Business & Legal means partnering with a legal expert who understands your needs and is committed to your success in the contract review process and more broadly. Don’t leave your business exposed to unnecessary risks – let our experienced lawyers help you review your contracts and help protect your company.
Reviewing Contracts After They’re Signed
Once a contract is in effect, regular reviews help ensure compliance and manage risks. Actions to take include:
Tracking Key Dates – Noting renewal periods, deadlines, and notice requirements.
Monitoring Performance – Ensuring that all obligations are met by both parties.
Identifying Contract Optimisation Opportunities – Assessing whether renegotiations or amendments are necessary.
Having a Lawyer review these aspects ensures that your business remains protected and compliant.
When to Seek Legal Advice
You should always engage a Contract Review Lawyer in the following situations:
When dealing with high-value or high-risk agreements.
If the contract includes complex clauses or unfamiliar legal terms.
When facing a potential dispute or breach of contract.
A Lawyer’s expertise ensures your business is fully protected and prevents future legal complications.
Here’s what you can expect from our Contract Review Process
Complimentary Initial Consultations
Benefit from a free initial phone consultation with our legal team, where you can discuss any concerns about the contract, mention anything your business is particularly sensitive to, and provide any important instructions you want us to follow throughout the review process.
Fixed-Fee Pricing
Base Pricing
Our Contract Review packages start at $600 + GST, matching your budget and offering fair price certainty.
Retainer Option
If you have a number of contracts that will need reviewing on an ongoing basis, talk to Rachelle about our value-added Retainer option, where we build a partnership with your business as your ongoing Contract Lawyer.
Full Contract Review
Our experienced Contract Lawyer will thoroughly examine your legal documents, highlighting key issues and risks as well as key clauses (eg default clauses), any blank space and potential conflicts in drafting.
But we only advise you on the issues you need to know. You don’t have time to be wading through a 20-page report from us full of legal blah-blah-blah!
Fast Turnarounds
We value your time and ensure quick responses – we always work to your timeframes. Tell us when you need the review, and we’ll get it done.
Get Your Contracts Reviewed by an Expert Contracting Lawyer
To protect your business, always have a skilled Contract Review Lawyer examine your agreements before signing.
FAQs
1. What is a contract review and why is it important?
A contract review is a detailed legal examination of a contract before it is signed, designed to identify legal and commercial risks. Contract reviews help ensure you understand your obligations, avoid disputes, and protect your business from unfavourable terms.
2. When should I request a contract review?
A contract review should be requested before you sign any agreement that affects your finances, obligations, or legal rights. This includes supply agreements, service contracts, leases, subcontractor agreements, and partnership arrangements.
3. What does a contract review include?
A contract review includes legal risk identification, commercial analysis, plain-English explanations, and recommended changes to improve the contract. You’ll also receive a written report and follow-up consultation to ensure you understand the document fully.
4. How long does a contract review take?
The contract review timeframe depends on the complexity of the document, but standard reviews are usually completed within 2–3 business days. Urgent contract reviews can often be prioritised with same-day turnaround if needed.
5. How much does a contract review cost?
Contract review fees are usually fixed and based on the length and complexity of the agreement. Blaze Business & Legal offers upfront pricing so you know the full cost before work begins. Our fixed fee review prices start from $600 (excluding GST).
6. What happens if I sign a contract without a review?
Signing a contract without a review exposes your business to potential risks such as unclear obligations, payment delays, or termination without notice. A contract review ensures you know what you’re agreeing to before it’s legally binding.
7. Can you review a contract that’s already been signed?
A contract review can still be valuable after signing, especially to assess compliance, obligations, or possible renegotiation. Blaze Business & Legal regularly provides contract advice to businesses needing post-signature support.
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