Skip to content
Skip to content
LawAstra
Talk
All guides

Prepare your contract brief

A checklist to help you begin

Download the blank brief

Your checklist

01

Explain the deal

  • State the business purpose and non-negotiable outcome.
  • Include the current draft, schedules and prior redlines.
  • Identify the countries and regulated activities involved.
Context & checks

Start with what each party is expected to do. Include the signing entities, value, duration, places of performance and target decision date. Your reviewer needs this context alongside the current contract and its attachments.

02

Name the decision owners

  • Name the business approver and legal reviewer.
  • Agree the requested output: issue list, redline or decision brief.
  • Set the target date and an urgent-question contact.
Context & checks

Identify who approves the commercial, finance, security and privacy choices. Your separately engaged qualified counsel assesses legal consequences and professional drafting. For work across jurisdictions, counsel determines which additional qualified input is needed.

03

Map the commitments

  • List the deliverables and acceptance steps.
  • Identify stated notice, renewal and reporting dates.
  • Mark unclear dependencies for the responsible reviewer.
Context & checks

Trace delivery, acceptance, payment, changes and exit. Link each stated task to a responsible owner and its source clause. Ask the relevant reviewer about gaps, cross-references and terms whose meaning needs professional interpretation.

04

Keep an issue list

  • Link the issue to the exact document version.
  • Keep proposed changes and accepted exceptions together.
  • Name the person approving each remaining exception.
Context & checks

Record each reviewer-identified issue with its clause, concern, proposed position, owner and status. Keep counsel’s legal analysis distinct from commercial preferences. A software comparison or flag supplies information for review; it is not an opinion.

05

Prepare the signature handoff

  • Reconcile the final copy with the approved positions.
  • Check attachments, links, version and signature details.
  • Keep the final approval record with the contract.
Context & checks

Give the final draft and complete attachments to the authorized approvers. Confirm that the appropriate people have checked the signing parties, authority and execution requirements. Open points should be resolved or carry a named approval before handoff.

06

Carry the dates forward

  • Name the owners of ongoing commitments.
  • Record source-linked dates for notices and renewals.
  • Keep completion evidence and any later changes.
Context & checks

After signature, keep the executed document and agreed task list together. Assign operational follow-up while the contract remains accessible. The responsible qualified reviewer verifies legal interpretation and the effect of stated dates.

Sources & further reading

Check the jurisdiction, date and facts before relying on a source.

Explore contract support
PRACTICAL GUIDE

Prepare a Contract Review BriefYour contract brief

Give your counsel the deal facts, current draft and decisions still open. Use this sequence to prepare a brief and carry approved commitments into follow-up.

· Preparation guide · professional legal review is separately engaged

Download the blank brief

Explain the dealExplain the deal

Start with what each party is expected to do. Include the signing entities, value, duration, places of performance and target decision date. Your reviewer needs this context alongside the current contract and its attachments.

  • State the business purpose and non-negotiable outcome.
  • Include the current draft, schedules and prior redlines.
  • Identify the countries and regulated activities involved.

Name the decision ownersName the decision owners

Identify who approves the commercial, finance, security and privacy choices. Your separately engaged qualified counsel assesses legal consequences and professional drafting. For work across jurisdictions, counsel determines which additional qualified input is needed.

  • Name the business approver and legal reviewer.
  • Agree the requested output: issue list, redline or decision brief.
  • Set the target date and an urgent-question contact.

Map the commitmentsMap the commitments

Trace delivery, acceptance, payment, changes and exit. Link each stated task to a responsible owner and its source clause. Ask the relevant reviewer about gaps, cross-references and terms whose meaning needs professional interpretation.

  • List the deliverables and acceptance steps.
  • Identify stated notice, renewal and reporting dates.
  • Mark unclear dependencies for the responsible reviewer.

Keep an issue listKeep an issue list

Record each reviewer-identified issue with its clause, concern, proposed position, owner and status. Keep counsel’s legal analysis distinct from commercial preferences. A software comparison or flag supplies information for review; it is not an opinion.

  • Link the issue to the exact document version.
  • Keep proposed changes and accepted exceptions together.
  • Name the person approving each remaining exception.

Prepare the signature handoffPrepare the signature handoff

Give the final draft and complete attachments to the authorized approvers. Confirm that the appropriate people have checked the signing parties, authority and execution requirements. Open points should be resolved or carry a named approval before handoff.

  • Reconcile the final copy with the approved positions.
  • Check attachments, links, version and signature details.
  • Keep the final approval record with the contract.

Carry the dates forwardCarry the dates forward

After signature, keep the executed document and agreed task list together. Assign operational follow-up while the contract remains accessible. The responsible qualified reviewer verifies legal interpretation and the effect of stated dates.

  • Name the owners of ongoing commitments.
  • Record source-linked dates for notices and renewals.
  • Keep completion evidence and any later changes.

Sources and further readingSources and further reading

Check each source against your jurisdiction and facts before acting.

NEXT STEP

Prepare your next step.Prepare your next step.

Explore contract support

Tell us what you’re dealing with.

Tell our team what you need. We’ll help you choose the service and explain what comes next.

Explore LawAstra

LAWASTRA

Request a callback

Our team will confirm your preferred time.