Contracts are traditionally written, either digitally or on paper, as a preferred format for irrefutable evidence of the agreement between parties. Many law firms and legal advisors will prefer for business dealings to be conducted via written contract, as it serves a record of what was agreed and therefore reduces the risk of a dispute surrounding payments, time frames and work to be performed.

Contracts can come in the following forms:

• Verbal contracts. These contracts may cone in the form of handshake agreements and are only recommended in situations where there are no disputes. Verbal contracts can lead to uncertainty but can potentially be enforced by a court.
• Part verbal, part written contracts. Verbal contracts are often supported by paperwork like emails, quotes or a list of main points relating to the agreement. Any paperwork associated with the initial agreement can be used later in discussions when trying to resolve a problem.
• Standard form contracts. A standard form contract is a pre-prepared contract where most of the terms are set in advance. These contracts require little to no negotiation between the parties and are often printed with a few blank spaces for filling in information such as names, dates and signatures. Standard form contract may also include legal ‘fine print’ and terms.