Customer terms redraft
Your terms and conditions rewritten in plain English and tidied for UK or Maltese use. Includes a cover note listing what changed and why.
Preamble
Commercial contracts analyst, UK and Malta
Customer contracts that don’t hold up your deals.
I draft and review customer terms, supplier agreements and data protection documents for small software teams in the UK and Malta.
LLB (Hons) Scots Law, First Class Honours, University of Strathclyde. Working remotely with companies in the UK and Malta.
- −27%
- Fewer words in the sample payment clause just below, with the same duties
- +31
- Reading ease points gained on that clause, scored live on this page
- 10
- Questions every contract review checks before you sign
- £120
- Starting fixed fee for a review, agreed in writing up front
Plain-English compiler · sample clause: payment
The Customer shall remit payment of all undisputed invoicesPay each undisputed invoice within thirty (30) days of the date of receipt of the relevant invoice, failing which interest shall accrue on overdue sums30 days of receiving it. If you pay late, we may charge interest on the overdue amount.
Words
Words per sentence
Reading ease, higher is easier
Same duties and the same right to charge interest, said in words a customer will not need to reread. Scores are worked out live in your browser using the Flesch reading ease formula.
Recitals00
Where small teams lose deals to paperwork
The product is ready and the buyer is keen. Then the contract arrives, and the deal waits. These are the four hold-ups I see most, and what I do about each.
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Whereas 01
Your terms go to the customer's lawyer, and the deal goes quiet for weeks.
FixTerms in plain English that a buyer's team can read and approve in one sitting.
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Whereas 02
The clause that actually matters is buried on page eleven.
FixThe few clauses that matter flagged up front in a short cover note.
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Whereas 03
Auto-renewals, liability caps and data roles nobody checked until it was too late.
FixThe same ten-question checklist on every agreement I review.
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Whereas 04
Legal quotes that grow by the hour, so you put the work off.
FixA fixed fee and a delivery date agreed in writing before I start.
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Services and fixed fees
Each service has a starting fee. The estimator below adjusts it for length, jurisdiction and turnaround, and I confirm the final figure in writing before I start.
Contract review
A customer or supplier agreement checked against a clear checklist. You get a short risk summary and suggested wording for the points that matter.
Privacy notice and data processing agreement
Existing documents reviewed and rewritten so they match what your business actually does with personal data. Aimed at small software teams.
Templates and negotiation guide
A reusable set of order form and terms templates, plus a one-page guide on which clauses you can flex and which you hold firm.
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Fee estimator
Choose what you need and see an indicative fee straight away. Nothing is sent from this page. Send the summary with the contact form below, and I will reply with a written quote.
Five or more agreements in one batch get 10% off.
UK work is priced in pounds and Malta or EU work in euros. Documents for both are priced in pounds, plus 25%. For Maltese law points I flag the issue so your local counsel can confirm it.
Indicative feeLive
£480
Indicative only. I confirm a fixed fee in writing after a short call or a look at your documents.
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Sample work
These samples are original and generic. They show how I write and what a review looks like. They are for illustration and are not meant to be used as they stand.
Limitation of liability, before and after
Before
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Supplier shall not, under any circumstances whatsoever, be liable to the Customer, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, for any loss of profit, loss of revenue, loss of goodwill or any indirect or consequential loss arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, howsoever caused, and the Supplier's total aggregate liability shall not exceed the fees paid by the Customer in the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the date on which the claim arose.
After
We are not responsible for lost profit, lost revenue, lost goodwill or indirect losses. Our total liability to you for everything that goes wrong in connection with this agreement is limited to the fees you paid us in the 12 months before the claim arose. Nothing in these terms limits liability that the law does not allow us to limit, such as liability for fraud, or for death or personal injury caused by negligence.
What changed
- Plain words replace "notwithstanding", "shall" and "howsoever caused", and one long sentence becomes three short ones.
- The cap now says exactly what it covers: the fees paid in the 12 months before the claim.
- A carve-out was added for liability that cannot lawfully be limited, as is standard in UK customer terms.
Customer terms for a software service (excerpt)
About these terms
These terms apply when you use [Product]. We are [Company name], registered in [country] under number [number]. By signing the order form you agree to them.
Your account
You are responsible for what happens under your account. Keep your login details safe and tell us quickly if you think someone else has them.
Fees and payment
You pay the fees set out in your order form. We invoice [annually] in advance, and you pay each undisputed invoice within 30 days of receiving it.
Your data
Your data stays yours. We use it only to provide the service and as set out in our data processing agreement. When the agreement ends, you can ask us to return or delete it.
Availability and support
We aim to keep the service available [99.5]% of the time each month, not counting planned maintenance. Support is available [9am to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday].
Ending the agreement
Either of us can end the agreement if the other commits a serious breach and does not fix it within 30 days of being told. Otherwise it continues for the term in your order form.
Limits on liability
We are not liable for lost profit or indirect losses. Our total liability is capped at the fees you paid in the 12 months before the claim. Nothing here limits liability for fraud, for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for anything else the law does not allow us to limit.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the law of [England and Wales / Scotland / Malta], and the courts of [the same place] have [exclusive] jurisdiction.
Square brackets mark details a real agreement would fill in. This excerpt leaves out clauses on intellectual property, confidentiality and changes to the terms.
Ten questions I ask of any customer agreement
- Are the parties named correctly?
- Wrong company names and numbers cause enforcement problems later.
- How long does it run, and does it renew by itself?
- Automatic renewals and notice periods are where surprise commitments hide.
- When is payment due, and what happens if it is late?
- Payment terms should match how you actually invoice.
- What caps liability, and what does the cap exclude?
- Check the cap is a sensible multiple of fees and that the carve-outs are lawful.
- Who is the data controller, and who is the processor?
- Wrong roles make the data protection terms meaningless.
- Who owns what is created or supplied?
- Ownership and licence wording should be specific about software, content and customer data.
- How can each side end it?
- Look for termination for convenience, cure periods and what survives termination.
- Which law applies, and where are disputes heard?
- Governing law and courts should match where you and your customer operate.
- Can either side change the terms alone?
- Unilateral change clauses need notice and an exit right.
- Do the order form, terms and policies agree with each other?
- Conflicting documents need a clear order of priority.
Every review ends with a short summary: the points that need action, the points worth negotiating, and the points that are fine as they stand.
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How an engagement runs
- BriefA short call or email to agree what you need and see your current documents.
- Written quoteA fixed fee and a delivery date in writing. You approve it before I start.
- First draftThe draft arrives with a cover note explaining each change in plain terms.
- Revisions and finalOne round of revisions is included, then you receive the final version.
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About the work
RecordGraduated 2026
- Name
- Douglas Stark
- Degree
- LLB (Hons) Scots Law, First Class
- University
- University of Strathclyde
- Now
- Drafting customer terms for a UK software company
Douglas Stark. I graduated with a First Class LLB (Hons) in Scots Law from the University of Strathclyde in 2026. I currently draft and revise customer terms for a UK software company, turning long, dense documents into shorter ones that customers can follow.
I keep client work confidential, so I do not publish client names or documents here. I am happy to talk through relevant experience on a call.
Scope of service
What I do and do not do
I provide drafting and review support. I am a law graduate and not a practising solicitor, so my work is not legal advice, and you adopt the documents as your own.
For high-value, regulated or contested agreements, have a qualified lawyer give the final version a last check. For points of Maltese law, I flag the issue for your local counsel to confirm.
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Douglas StarkCommercial contracts analyst
Tell me what you need
A few lines about your business and the document is enough, plus your fee summary if you used the estimator. I aim to reply within one working day.
- LinkedIn Douglas Stark on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)
- Based Remote · UK and Malta