The three routes compared
| DIY template | Solicitor review of their draft | Solicitor-drafted | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Free to low | Fixed fee, modest | Fixed fee, higher |
| Fits Irish law | Often not — most templates are English or US | Yes — checked as part of the review | Yes — drafted for it |
| Fits your deal | Only by coincidence | Partially — their document, your mark-ups | Fully |
| Who carries the risk of errors | You | Shared — advice covers what was reviewed | The drafting is the solicitor's professional responsibility |
| Reusable | Yes, with the same flaws each time | No — one contract | Yes — drafted for reuse |
| Best for | Low-stakes, standard, symmetrical deals | Signing someone else's paper | Documents you'll use repeatedly or deals with real exposure |
When the template is genuinely fine
Low stakes, standard subject matter, no imbalance of power, and losses you could absorb without pain: a simple mutual NDA between equals, a short services agreement for a small engagement. If that's your situation, use a reputable template, check it references Irish law, and spend your money elsewhere. That is real advice and we mean it.
Where templates quietly fail
The failures we litigate share a pattern: an English template's references to legislation that doesn't exist here; a US indemnity architecture nobody understood; a "standard" clause deleted because it looked like boilerplate — which was the retention of title clause; and above all, documents that don't describe the actual deal, so when the dispute comes, both sides are right about what was agreed and the paper supports neither. The template's price was never the template's cost.
The hybrid most SMEs actually need
Have the documents you use repeatedly — terms of sale, engagement letters, trade contracts — drafted once, properly, for reuse. Use review-only when you're signing someone else's paper and the stakes justify it. Use the Contract Risk Checker to triage which is which. That combination buys the most protection per euro of any strategy we know.
Frequently asked questions
Are free online contract templates legal in Ireland?
Using them is legal; the question is whether they work. Many are drafted for other jurisdictions, reference foreign statutes, and encode another business's risk profile. 'Legal' and 'protects you' are different properties.
Can AI-generated contracts be trusted?
As a starting draft, sometimes; as a finished contract, the same caution as any template applies, plus one more: fluent text conceals wrong law persuasively. Whatever generates the words, the questions remain — is it Irish law, is it your deal, and who is accountable if it's wrong?
What's the cheapest way to get proper contracts?
Prioritise by exposure: the documents you use on every customer, and any single deal that could hurt you. One properly drafted reusable document typically costs less than one hour of the dispute it prevents.
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
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