Why You Shouldn't Write Your Own VA Contract
Written by Paige Griffith, J.D. of The Legal Paige
As a virtual assistant, you are probably juggling a lot for your clients: from their calendars, to their content, to many other tasks. One task you shouldn't be juggling is creating your own contract. When you present your virtual assistant contract to your clients you should feel confident knowing it was written by a licensed attorney who understands small business owners and creatives. Here are the exact reasons why you should be purchasing your contract from a reliable source to keep your business legally legit.
Googling Your Contract Will Cost You
Getting a quality contract through a reputable source is crucial for you to be successful in business! If you use a contract from a website or Google and customize it the best you can… but it is never looked at by an attorney you might be opening yourself up to extensive liability. Of course, you can find just about anything on Google from funny cat videos, to diagnoses on Web MD, but should you be finding your contracts for free on Google? The answer is unequivocally, NO!
A bad contract can cost you thousands of dollars in legal fees and court battles, and Google is full of bad contracts. The problem with finding a contract for free on Google is that you don't know how old it is, who wrote it, or which laws it was based on. And the fact that the contract is free… tells you the value of the contract is very low.
Additionally having a contract that is written by an attorney for your business is a great way to make a new client see that you take your business very seriously which will in turn make them treat you seriously.
If Its Not Written By A Licensed Attorney… It Won’t Hold Up In Court
You should not be writing a contract for your clients unless you are a licensed attorney. Attorneys go to specialized schooling to learn how to write contracts that include the necessary clauses needed to protect your business. If you do not have that background you may miss a major clause that could open yourself up to liability and the ability for a client to pursue massive damages against you. Moreover, its very likely that major portions of your DIY contract won’t hold up in court because of the unclear language, misused terms, or invalid clauses. You need to have a solid contract that provides protection against all of the "what ifs" and gives you peace of mind. Those types of contracts are ones that are written by a licensed attorney.
Luckily, The Legal Paige template contracts are not only written by an attorney that specializes in the online space, but the contracts are extremely easy to use and understand as a solopreneur. When you buy a Virtual Assistant Contract from TLP you will appreciate that it is written in plain language and has comments on the side of the document to help you understand certain sections when you're filling in your business information and policies.
If all of this seems daunting and you feel like you have no clue where to start, don’t worry! The Legal Paige has your back. Check out their free blogs, podcasts and YouTube Channel to learn more about how to protect yourself and your business.
