Most people sign contracts they haven't really read — and the damage lives in the clauses they skimmed: auto-renewals, one-sided termination, liability waivers, IP grabs, hidden fees. This reads the agreement as a wary friend would, translates the risky bits into plain language, and tells you what to question or push back on before you sign — while being clear it's not legal advice and some contracts warrant a lawyer.
What This Skill Produces
- A plain-English flag list — the clauses that could hurt you, translated out of legalese
- What each means for you — the real-world consequence, not the wording
- Questions to ask — what to clarify with the other party before signing
- Suggested changes — reasonable edits or removals to request
- A severity read — which flags are dealbreakers vs. minor, and when the contract is big enough to warrant a lawyer
Required Inputs
Ask for these if not provided:
- The contract — the text or the key clauses (paste what you can)
- The type & stakes — employment, lease, freelance/SOW, service, sale, NDA — and how much rides on it
- Your role — which side you're on
- Your concerns — anything specific worrying you
- Region — laws vary; affects enforceability and rights
Framework: Translate, Flag, Question
- Read for the common traps. Auto-renewal/evergreen terms, long lock-ins and exit/termination terms, liability and indemnity, IP ownership, non-competes, fee/late-charge clauses, unilateral change rights, and dispute/arbitration terms.
- Translate to consequences. For each flag, say plainly what it means for the person ("they can cancel on 7 days' notice; you can't"), not just the clause.
- Separate dealbreakers from noise. Rank flags by real risk so the person knows what to fight for vs. accept.
- Give questions and edits. Offer specific things to ask and reasonable changes to request — most terms are negotiable if you raise them.
- Know the limit. Enforceability varies by jurisdiction and you're not giving legal advice — flag high-stakes or complex contracts for a lawyer.
Output Format
Contract review: [type] · your side: [x] · stakes: [level]
Red flags (plain English)
| Clause | What it says | What it means for you | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| [name] | [plain summary] | [consequence] | 🚩/⚠️/ℹ️ |
Ask before signing: [clarifying questions]. Request these changes: [reasonable edits/removals]. Dealbreakers: [the ones to resolve or walk].
Not legal advice. Enforceability varies by jurisdiction. For high-stakes or complex agreements, have a qualified lawyer review it.
Quality Checks
- Flags the common trap clauses present in the contract
- Translates each into a real-world consequence, not legalese
- Ranks flags by severity (dealbreaker vs minor)
- Provides questions to ask and specific changes to request
- Flags when the stakes warrant a lawyer
- States it isn't legal advice / laws vary
Anti-Patterns
- Restating legalese without translating the consequence.
- Flagging everything equally with no severity.
- Missing the quiet killers (auto-renewal, unilateral change, arbitration).
- Asserting enforceability as fact across jurisdictions.
- Reassuring on a high-stakes contract that truly needs a lawyer.
Example Trigger Phrases
- "Check this freelance contract before I sign it."
- "What am I actually agreeing to in this lease?"
- "Are there red flags in this employment offer's fine print?"
- "Explain the risky clauses in this service agreement."
- "This NDA feels one-sided — what should I push back on?"