How to Write a Contract for Free
Many of us have been conditioned to think that any time we need a contract written our only alternative is to contact an attorney. This can be good advice for complex or delicate business matters, but for common, everyday agreements that are standard and not complex (what many lawyers refer to as "boilerplate" contracts) there is no reason why you cannot write your own contracts and save the expense of contacting an attorney.
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Instructions
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Go to your local bookstore or large stationery store and ask if they have a book of standardized legal forms. These books have several simple legal forms which you can fill in and then tear the form out of the book.
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Choose the form that pertains to your needs. Photocopy the form before you fill it out so that you will have another blank form if you should need one again in the future.
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Fill out the form. Use language that is as exact as you can when filling out the form so there will be no question about what you mean to convey. Take your time and fill out everything. If you need to look something up, do so. Do not sign or send an incomplete form.
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Ask a lawyer to review the form you have created if there is any question in your mind about whether the contract covers everything necessary. It is much less expensive to have a lawyer review a contract than it is to have a lawyer write a contract.
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Sign and date your contract. If warranted, have a notary verify your signature. Present your contract to the other party involved.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't be intimidated when writing a simple contract. Remember, your lawyer would use a boilerplate contract which is little different from the one you would be filling out from a book of blank legal contracts.
Do not write your own contracts for important matters such as child custody, property transfer and other weighty matters.
