Pathagoras Tip of the Week

Clause Sets

    If you draft  standard type contracts, wills, trusts, proposals, etc., with only a few variations among them, you should always consider the Clause Set. 

    A ‘clause-set’ is a ‘potential’ complete document.  It comprises no (or little) actual text, but rather are a collection of 'pointers’ to desired text. When a clause set is called upon, Pathagoras finds the target text and pours it into the current document. A clause set can be two or three clauses, or hundreds.  Click the link at the left to learn how to create and store clause set and their many used in document assembly.

    For this tip, if the contracts, wills, etc. are such that the variations from document to document are always at the top and bottom of the document, you might consider creating a clause set to bring in just the boilerplate text as a single item.

    There are two approaches you will wish to consider.

1. You can create a clause set that contains all 15 paragraphs of a standard-type contract. Give the clause set a name that reflects the overall document ("Lease, corporation"; "Lease, individual"; etc.).
   
   When you assemble a document, you need only select one item from the list of clauses. The entire document for the 'right kind' of activity will be created. (This is the rather 'classic' use of a clause set.)
   
   
2. You can create a clause set that contains the 13 'intermediate' (and truly boilerplate) clauses. Give the clause set a name that reflects the content of these 'standard clauses.'
   
   When you assembly a document, you would select as your first selection the item that reflects the nature of the intended recipient of the document;  you would then choose the clauses set which contains the intermediate clauses; and finally choose the last clause, which like the first, would reflect the nature of the intended recipient. 
   
   The result is a personalized beginning, a personalized end and a boiler-plated middle.
   
   (You may be tempted to pour the intermediate clauses into one big document. You should resist that urge. Some of the individual clauses may also used for other documents. Where possible, you should refrain from maintaining more that one version of a specific paragraph in case changes need to be made to it.)