Why pre-signature is the moment
Before you sign, everything is negotiable and nothing is owed. After, Irish law holds businesses to their bargains — there is no cooling-off period for commercial contracts, no doctrine of "I didn't read it", and very limited relief for a deal that was merely bad. The entire economics of legal help invert at the signature line: a review costs a fixed fee; a dispute costs multiples of it, plus years.
What a review covers
We read the whole document — schedules included — against the deal you think you're doing. The clauses checked first are the ones that decide disputes:
- Liability: what you'd recover in your realistic worst case, and what they'd recover from you
- Indemnities you're giving, and whether they're capped
- Termination: how you get out, how they can, and what exit costs
- Payment: amounts, triggers, credit exposure, title to goods
- Scope and obligations: what you're actually promising, and whether it's deliverable
- Restraints that outlive the contract
- Entire agreement: whether the promises that sold you the deal are in the document
- Governing law and forum: where a dispute would actually happen
What you get back
Not an essay — a marked-up contract and a short advice note in plain English: the three-to-six points worth negotiating, suggested wording for each, the risks you're accepting if you sign as-is, and a view on overall balance. Where you want us to, we negotiate the changes directly with the other side; a precise mark-up from a solicitor moves counterparties that a general objection never will.
Timing and process
Email the contract with a paragraph on the deal and your deadline. Most reviews are turned around inside a working week and faster where a deadline demands it — say so and we plan accordingly. The fee is fixed and agreed in writing before we start. Not sure the document justifies a review? Run it through the Contract Risk Checker first — it's free and takes two minutes.
How our fees work
You get a fixed quote in writing before any work starts — no hourly-rate surprises and no meter running while you think. If the scope changes, the quote is revised in writing before we continue. In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement. How contract solicitor fees work in Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
How long does a contract review take?
Most are completed inside a working week; genuinely urgent reviews are a normal part of the practice — tell us the deadline when you send the document and we'll confirm whether it's achievable before you commit.
Is it worth reviewing a contract I can't negotiate?
Often yes — 'non-negotiable' contracts are frequently more negotiable than claimed, and even where truly fixed, knowing your exposure changes decisions: insurance, pricing, whether to sign at all. The review is about your decision, not just their drafting.
Can you review a contract that's already signed?
Yes — to establish what you're bound to, what exits exist, and what to do differently at renewal. If the question is about a breach that has already happened, start at breach of contract.
Talk to a solicitor who reads contracts for a living. Call Mary Molloy Solicitors today.
Whether you are drafting terms for your business, handed a contract to sign, or unsure what a clause commits you to, an early conversation costs little and prevents a lot.
📞 Call 01 5827148Try the Contract Risk Checker
richardoshea@marymolloysolicitors.com · Dublin: The Ormond Building, 31–36 Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin 7, D07 EE37 · Kilkenny: 2 Rose Inn Street, Kilkenny, R95 W58D
Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM — out of hours appointments available