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Writing a contract

Starting one​

Use the plus beside Contracts in the sidebar, or New contract on the contracts list. You can also start one from a contact, a booking or an inquiry, which links it to that record.

The editor is full screen: a formatting toolbar across the top, a details card, and the contract body below it.

The details card​

Related to is the contact, booking or inquiry this contract belongs to. It's what the client variables read from, and the contact is who it gets sent to.

Invoice (optional) attaches an invoice, which is what the invoice variables read from. New invoice at the bottom of that picker takes you off to create one.

Expiry Date is the last day the client can sign. Optional.

Starting from a template​

Actions in the toolbar opens a short menu. Start from template picks one of your contract templates and copies its content in. It warns you first that loading a template replaces the body and fields.

It won't stay linked. The contract becomes its own document, and editing the template afterwards changes nothing here. That's right for a legal document. It does mean that fixing a mistake in a template doesn't fix contracts already sent.

Writing it​

The editor works like a word processor. A block menu offers Body, Heading 1, Heading 2 and Heading 3. Then come bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, highlight, bulleted and numbered lists, a Divider, four alignments, links and Clear formatting, with undo and redo.

Structure it so a client can actually read it. Headed sections beat one long wall of text, and a client who understands what they signed argues less later on.

Typical sections for photography work:

  • Who the parties are, and what the job is
  • Date, times and location
  • What you're delivering, and roughly when
  • The fee, the deposit, and when the balance is due
  • Cancellation and rescheduling, by either side
  • What happens in bad weather, illness, or if equipment fails
  • Copyright and how each side may use the images
  • Model release, if you need one

Filling in details automatically​

Insert variables from Insert Variable in the toolbar rather than typing names and dates. CoreHue fills them from your details, the contact's, and the linked booking or invoice.

Leave blanks for anything only the client knows: add those with Client Field, and they are listed under the body as Client fields with a count. See Variables and blanks.

Numbering​

Assigned automatically in sequence as soon as you save the draft.

Saving it as a template​

Save as template in the Actions menu keeps what you've written for next time. While you're writing a new contract that you started from a template, a third item, Update source template, pushes your changes back to it. That item is not offered when you edit a contract later.

Saving a finished contract as a template is usually easier than building templates in the abstract. You write better contracts against a real job.

Signing before you send​

The new-contract send step offers Sign before sending, which puts your signature on the contract before the client ever sees it, and the button then reads Sign & Send. Useful when a client expects to receive something already signed by you. On a contract you've already sent, the same thing is Pre-sign in the three-dot menu.

Before you send​

Read it end to end as the client. The editor is what they'll see, variables and all.

Deal with unresolved variables. If anything can't be filled in, CoreHue stops the send and lists what's missing. See Variables and blanks.

Have a lawyer look at your standard one. Once. It's the cheapest legal money you'll spend, and you'll reuse it for years.

Saving​

The bar at the bottom of a new contract has Save Draft and Save & Send. On a contract you come back to edit, those read Save changes and Save & send. Saving a draft takes you to the contract's page, where you can send it whenever you're ready.

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