Guides to contracts, HR letters and landlord forms

Plain-English answers to the questions people ask before they use a template, each linked to a free Word template you can fill in online.

Automating Word templates

• How to automate a Word template without uploading it anywhere
  How to turn any Word document into a reusable fill-in template with questions, conditional clauses and lists, step by step, entirely in your browser.
• Conditional clauses in Word: include or remove paragraphs automatically
  Make parts of a Word document appear only when they apply: yes/no sections, either/or wording, and clauses based on amounts or dates. Free examples.
• Repeating lists and table rows in Word templates
  How to make a Word template repeat a paragraph, bullet or table row for every party, attorney, deliverable or line item, with separators and numbering.
• Mail merge vs document automation: which one do you need?
  Mail merge fills the same blanks from a spreadsheet; document automation also includes or removes clauses, repeats lists and calculates. How to tell which one your documents need.
• Client intake without a portal: collect answers by email, privately
  Send clients a questionnaire they fill in offline and return as a file, then generate documents from their answers, with no client portal or upload.
• Choosing document software when client confidentiality matters: a checklist
  A checklist of questions to ask before putting client or employee data into any document tool: where data goes, who can see it, sub-processors.

NDAs and restrictive covenants

• What to include in an NDA: a clause-by-clause checklist
  What an NDA should include: the definition of confidential information, exclusions, term, return of information and governing law, clause by clause.
• Mutual vs one-way NDA: which one do you need?
  The difference between a mutual and a one-way (unilateral) NDA, when to use each, and the special cases: employees, freelancers and business sales.
• How long should an NDA last? Typical terms explained
  How long NDAs usually last: one to five years for most business information, longer for trade secrets. The two clocks in every NDA, and how to choose.
• NDA vs confidentiality agreement: is there a difference?
  NDA and confidentiality agreement mean the same thing. How both differ from non-solicitation and non-compete agreements, and which one you need.
• Non-compete vs non-solicitation agreement: the difference
  How a non-compete differs from a non-solicitation agreement, which one courts enforce, where non-competes are banned, and which one a small business needs.
• Are non-compete agreements enforceable? The rules in 2026
  Where non-competes are banned or limited, what courts look for when they enforce one, what happened to the FTC rule, and the alternatives that hold up better.

Hiring and HR letters

• How to write a job offer letter (with a free template)
  What to put in a job offer letter: role, start date, pay, bonus, equity, benefits, conditions and at-will wording, plus the mistakes that cause disputes later.
• How to write a warning letter to an employee (free template)
  What an employee warning letter should say, first vs final written warnings, how to deliver one fairly, and the mistakes that make a later dismissal harder.
• How to write a termination letter (with a free template)
  What an employee termination letter should say: the last day, notice, the reason, final pay, benefits and company property, plus what to leave out.
• How to write a two weeks notice letter (free template)
  What to put in a two weeks notice letter, how to count the two weeks, how to hand it in, and what happens to your final pay, vacation and benefits.
• How to write a job description that attracts the right people
  What to put in a job description, how to separate must-haves from nice-to-haves, where pay ranges are required, and wording that keeps good candidates applying.
• What to include in a severance agreement
  What a severance agreement needs: pay and benefits, the release, extra rules for employees 40 and over, and the mistakes that make one unenforceable.
• How to write a performance improvement plan (PIP) that works
  How to write a performance improvement plan: specific concerns, measurable goals, support, check-ins, how long a PIP should last and mistakes to avoid.
• How to write a remote work agreement (free template)
  What a remote or hybrid work agreement should cover: work location, hours, equipment, home office costs, security, safety, expenses and how it ends.

Freelancing and getting paid

• How to write a freelance contract: 10 clauses that prevent disputes
  What a freelance contract should cover: scope, revisions, deadlines, payment, deposits, kill fees, ownership and termination, with free templates.
• What to include in a statement of work (SOW)
  What a statement of work needs: scope, deliverables, timeline, fees, assumptions, acceptance and change control, with examples of what goes wrong.
• Quote vs estimate vs invoice: what is the difference?
  The difference between a quote, an estimate, a pro forma invoice, a purchase order and an invoice, when to use each one, and which of them are binding.
• How to write an invoice: what to include and how to number it
  What an invoice must include, how to number invoices, payment terms such as net 30, sales tax and VAT, late fees, and how to send one that gets paid.
• What is a kill fee? How to set one in a freelance contract
  A kill fee is what a client pays to cancel a freelance project after work starts. How much to charge, how to word it in a contract, with examples.
• What to do when a client won't pay: a step-by-step plan
  A calm plan for an unpaid invoice: reminders, a final notice, late fees, a demand letter and small claims, with reminder emails you can copy.
• How to write a demand letter for unpaid invoices
  A step-by-step guide to asking a customer for overdue payment in writing: what to include, tone, deadlines, interest, and what to do if they still do not pay.
• What is a change order? How to handle scope changes
  What a change order is, when freelancers, agencies and contractors need one, what it should include, and how it protects both sides when scope changes.
• What is a credit note? When to issue one, what it must say
  What a credit note is, when to issue one instead of editing an invoice, what it must include, how it handles tax, and refund versus credit.

Landlords and tenants

• What to include in a residential lease agreement
  A checklist of what a residential lease should cover, from rent and the deposit to repairs, entry and pets, and the state rules it cannot override.
• What to include in a roommate agreement (free template)
  What a roommate agreement should cover: rent split, deposit, bills, chores, guests, quiet hours and moving out, plus whether it is legally binding.
• How to write a rent increase letter: notice and wording
  When a landlord can raise the rent, how much notice the letter needs, rent caps to check, what to put in the letter, and a free rent increase letter template.
• How to write a notice to vacate letter
  What a tenant's notice to vacate should say, how much notice to give, how to deliver it, and how to get the security deposit back after moving out.
• How to return a security deposit: deadlines and deductions
  How long landlords have to return a security deposit, what they can and cannot deduct, how to itemize deductions, and a free deposit return letter.
• Renting a room in your home: what the agreement should say
  What to put in a room rental agreement when you rent out a room in your home: rent, deposit, utilities, shared spaces, house rules, guests and notice.
• How to set up a rent payment plan with a tenant
  How landlords and tenants can agree a payment plan for past-due rent: an affordable schedule, late fees, missed payments and what to put in writing.

Business deals, money and releases

• Is an MOU legally binding? How it differs from a contract
  When a memorandum of understanding or letter of intent becomes a binding contract, how courts decide, and how to word yours so it binds only what you mean.
• What to include in a partnership agreement: 10 key terms
  The ten terms every partnership agreement needs, what the law decides if you leave them out, common mistakes, and when an LLC or an MOU fits better.
• How to write a bill of sale, with a free template
  What a bill of sale must include, extra details for a car or boat, when it needs a notary, and the steps after signing that protect the seller.
• How to lend money to family or friends, in writing
  How to lend money to a family member or friend without falling out: deciding loan or gift, the terms to agree, interest and tax, and writing it down.
• How to write a gift letter for a mortgage
  What a mortgage gift letter must say, who can give a down payment gift, how lenders check the money, and what the donor should know about gift tax.
• Are liability waivers enforceable? What makes one hold up
  When a liability waiver protects a business and when courts ignore it: negligence wording, gross negligence, minors, states that refuse waivers, and UK rules.
• What is a hold harmless agreement? Types, examples and limits
  What a hold harmless agreement does, one-way and mutual versions, broad and limited forms, how it differs from indemnity and a waiver, and when it holds up.
• When do you need a model release? A plain guide
  When photographers, videographers and businesses need a signed model release, when they usually do not, what to put in one, and rules for minors.
• How to terminate a contract: notice, cause and the letter
  How to end a business contract properly: read the termination clause, choose cause or convenience, give notice the right way, and what the letter says.
• How does consignment work? Commission, payouts and risk
  How consignment works for owners and shops: who owns the goods, typical commission, payouts, unsold items, risk of loss, and what the agreement says.