What this tool does

It gives you a plain English read on a contract before you sign it, pointing out the clauses that tend to cause people problems later. You tell it what sort of agreement you are dealing with and describe the terms that stand out, and it explains what each one could mean for you in practice.

Think of it as a sanity check. It will not replace legal advice, but it can help you spot the parts of a contract worth pushing back on or getting a solicitor to look at properly.

When to use it

It is aimed at anyone in the UK who has been handed a contract and is not sure what they are looking at. That might be a tenancy agreement, an employment contract, a freelance or consultancy deal, a gym or broadband sign up, a service agreement with a supplier, a settlement agreement, or the small print on a loan or finance arrangement.

It is most useful before you sign, while you still have room to ask questions or negotiate. You can also use it after the fact if you are trying to work out whether a clause someone is relying on is as strong as they say it is, though at that point a solicitor is usually the better next step.

How it works

You answer a few short questions about the type of contract, who the other party is, and the specific wording or terms that concern you. The tool then returns a plain English summary that highlights the clauses most likely to work against you, such as automatic renewals, broad liability, notice periods that only favour one side, fees that are easy to miss, and restrictions on what you can do after the contract ends. It takes about two minutes to fill in, and your answers are not saved once you close the page. If anything flagged looks serious, take the contract and the summary to a solicitor before you sign.