How a Design Business Hired a Lawyer to Draft a Website Agreement in Washington

This is hard to say without seeing the template, but I have a difficult time believing that a single template with no customization will be fully effective to protect you and your new business. These templates usually require some customization by an experienced attorney or by using a tool that allows for customization of the terms and conditions for your specific situation.

Every website that offers services and lets users create accounts needs Terms of Service - it's like having a contract with your users. It's crucial, especially in Texas. Recent Texas court cases have made it clear: you need to make sure users actually see and agree to your terms. The StubHub case is a perfect example. The court looked at whether users had fair notice of the terms and actively showed they agreed to them. The best way to do this is with what we call a "clickwrap" agreement - that's where users have to click "I agree" during sign-up. Your Terms of Service should include: ACCEPTANCE: Clear instructions on how users accept the terms - that "I agree" button. Then, spell out exactly what services you're providing and what users can and can't do on your site. PRIVACY POLICY: You'll also need a privacy policy section that explains how you handle user data. Depending upon your services and the nature of the data you are collecting and from where your users are arriving, you may need separate detailed privacy policy and a cookie policy. ADDITIONAL: You'll want sections on how disputes get resolved (like arbitration), limits on your liability, and your right to update the terms later. Getting this right protects you legally and sets clear expectations with your users.