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Subject:RE: RoboHelp for Word or RoboHelp Office? From:"Mike Bradley" <mbradley -at- techpubs -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sat, 26 Jun 2004 11:57:58 -0700
> My new client and I have agreed (and will sign a contract confirming
> it), that we will agree on a time frame and cost of
> individual legs of
> the whole project. My guess is that those subagreements
> should also be
> in writing and signed. Is that correct? Or are verbal agreements all
> right?
>
> I've met with the client and it seems as if we can
> deal with one
> another just as in any other relationship of trust. Should
> I be worried
> about eventualities that I cannot foresee now and get
> agreement as to
> cost in writing?
I think you've answered your own question. You're already worried
about the situation.
Oral agreements are terribly unreliable. In this situation, the client
obviously has time and cost concerns, so I would want very clear
agreement on his (her?) criteria. You can only get that in writing.
If the criteria are the same for all the legs, you wouldn't need
separate agreements. If he has different criteria for each leg, you
would need to go separate. Either way, though, you can write them as
attachments and put a clause in the main contract that incorporates
the attachments into the contract.
You should also insist on remedy and change clauses. That is, you
should be given a reasonable amount of time to remedy any breach of
the agreement, and oral changes should not be allowed.
Lots of writers balk at the latter because it means every little
change in deadline or outline has to be documented. But changes have
to be documented anyway--that's what we do--so it's not nearly the
burden it appears to be. And an exchange of emails suffices for things
like schedule changes.
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