Identify the decisions behind the documents
Before requesting a contract review, describe the transaction. Who is providing what, what has already been agreed and which points are still under discussion? A draft alone may not explain the commercial aim or the history of negotiations.
If several people own or plan to own the business, prepare questions about their roles, decisions, contributions and possible changes. Ask how existing agreements address those subjects. When using a template or draft, identify the points that need consideration in the context of your actual arrangements.
The business legal enquiry page covers these requirements.
Build a focused review agenda
Prepare questions about your business plans and ask the solicitor what relevant information to bring to the first meeting. Depending on the business, your agenda might include:
- Ownership arrangements and proposed changes between founders.
- Customer or supplier agreements awaiting review.
- Employment questions connected with a planned decision.
- Branding, creative work or other intellectual property questions.
- How the business collects, uses and shares personal information.
Use this agenda to distinguish decisions already made from those still open. For a supplier agreement, the unresolved point might be the work included. For an ownership arrangement, it might concern responsibilities or a proposed change between founders.
Prepare questions about fees and the first meeting
The Solicitors Regulation Authority, the regulator for solicitors and most law firms in England and Wales, encourages consumers to discuss how fees are calculated. Its guidance for consumers (sra.org.uk) notes that legal costs vary with the subject and time required.
Before a first meeting, list the questions you want to cover and ask what relevant information to prepare. For a supplier agreement, your note could identify the draft, the commercial purpose and any existing correspondence.
Technology questions belong with the task
Keep questions about document templates or digital tools tied to the task they need to support. Ask who will check the output and what information a tool would receive before making it part of a legal workflow.
Describe relevant business records without copying confidential contents into the initial message.
Use the contact form to introduce the business decision or review you want to discuss with Solicitors London.