Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I am in need of a sales contract that meets certain requirements:

Background
I run an amateur poker league.  Currently I run turn-key hosted tournaments at area bars and clubs.  Payment is collected from the establishment at the end of each poker tournament.  We typically work from a simple contract that I wrote myself with terms that vary from a 4 week introductory offer to a 13 week, season contract.

We are expanding into the realm of self-hosted tournaments.  The bar/club will conduct their own tournaments; we will provide training material, point tracking and league leaderboard services and award seats at a national poker championship to each participating establishment. 

Requirements
I need a contract that has an initial term of 6 weeks and then becomes self renewing on a season to season basis (13 weeks each).  I’d like to have a Master Card / Visa payment option that allows for automatic billing unless the contract is terminated in writing or via the internet a minimum of 30 days prior to its renewal date.  I’d like the wording to allow for the invoicing of the business if they don’t choose a credit card payment option and that the contracting establishment would agree to pay all attorneys fees if collection becomes necessary.

Compensation
Ideally, I’d like to work with an attorney that would handle all our legal issues concerning payment collections in exchange for creating the contract.  IE:  When the client fails to pay you’d add your legal fees and begin the collection process.  I don’t have a lot of cash available for legal services as we are spending most of it on marketing at this point. 

Or... I’d be happy to pay outright for the services rendered when I have a minimum of 20 establishments on board using the contract you’d created.   This would assure me that the legalese would be written in such a manner so as to not “scare away” my potential clients.

Can anyone help?

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Pokerman It`s not about what you can do... it`s about what you will do! Amateur Poker League Software - Drive Traffic - Add 100,000 Songs to your website - Music Catalog

Pokerman,

I think you`ll have a lot of trouble finding an attorney that is willing to do this.  If you are successful, the attorney will probably be very junior and inexperienced.

Just some food for thought.


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Pepper Law Group, LLC
21 E. High Street, Suite D
Somerville, NJ 08876
informationlaw.com
Now available on DVD!
The Legal Considerations of Starting an Online Business

I understand that most people want cash up front... just a fact of life. 

However, I thought I`d make what I think is a fair offer.  "Write me up a contract and I`ll use your services to collect on any contracts that go unpaid.... or I`ll pay you for your services"  I personally don`t care how Jr or inexperienced the attorney might be, if (s)he can do the work and create the kind of document I want.  I don`t even care if all I get for a response is .... "I won`t do it for what you offered but I will do it for $xx.xx dollars up front"  At least I have found someone that is willing to do the work.  All that is left at that point is negotiating the compensation.

A well written contract would probably mean that there wouldn`t be too many individuals willing to welch on the agreement, which would be self defeating for an attorney that would be willing to be compensated by having an exclusive right to our collections. 

Two things have to meld together here.  A bonafide legal agreement and a document that won`t put off a prospective client that would balk at too much legalese.  We snag a lot of business away from one of our competitors because their contract is 30 pages long and the clients are put off by it.  Our current contract is just two pages but probably not too binding.

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Pokerman It`s not about what you can do... it`s about what you will do! Amateur Poker League Software - Drive Traffic - Add 100,000 Songs to your website - Music Catalog

I agree with the above comment about the scarcity of attorneys willing and able to provide such services under the conditions that you have stated. And your suggestion as to using the attorney to collect debts owed you is likewise amiable. Probably a middle position would be to offer the attorney (a reasonable amount in) up front fees for his/her services, normally market rate and use he/she to collect such debts as are owed to you.

I am out of State (US) attorney, with US and EU experiences, and may legally be unable to provide the later services but may consider drafting the agreement if the price is right:)

 

 

Yes... I agree... most attorneys would want their money up front...  and my offer does include:

[Quote=Pokerman]  "...or I`ll pay you for your services" [/Quote]

What is the RIGHT PRICE???  What is even a ballpark figure?

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Pokerman It`s not about what you can do... it`s about what you will do! Amateur Poker League Software - Drive Traffic - Add 100,000 Songs to your website - Music Catalog

Ballpark figures can vary by attorney and jurisdiction.  Personally, I would want to learn a bit more about the structure and situation, and I`d be able to give you my personal ballpark.

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Pepper Law Group, LLC
21 E. High Street, Suite D
Somerville, NJ 08876
informationlaw.com
Now available on DVD!
The Legal Considerations of Starting an Online Business

Agree with Pepperlegal, without the structure and scenarios it would be near impossible to come up with a ball-pack.