Related tools
Build the internal review playbook first, then run individual incoming drafts through Risk Review to check them against exactly this checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Contract Review Playbook — your questions, answered
If your question is not here, write to verbatra.legal@gmail.com and we will add it.
What is a contract review playbook?
It's an internal document, not a contract — a standard operating procedure your team follows every time a contract of a given type comes in for review. It sets out, clause by clause, what to check, what's an acceptable internal standard, when a deviation must be escalated, and who is responsible for signing off. The goal is that any reasonably capable person on your team can review a routine contract consistently, without re-deciding the same questions from scratch each time.
How is this different from the Contract Risk Review tool?
Risk Review looks at one specific contract you paste in and flags where it deviates from market-standard terms. This tool builds the standing internal process and checklist your team uses across every contract of that type — the reference document that defines what "standard" even means for your organisation, so Risk Review (or a human reviewer) has something concrete to check against.
Why does it matter whether it's an external or our own draft?
Reviewing a contract someone else sent you is about catching deviations and risk they may have built in. Reviewing your own draft before it goes out is about confirming it matches your approved template and hasn't drifted through ad hoc edits. The checklist emphasis shifts accordingly, even though the underlying clauses are the same.
What do Light-Touch, Standard and Strict review rigor mean?
They set how much gets escalated to Legal versus handled by the business team directly. Light-Touch fast-tracks routine, low-value, standard-term contracts and reserves Legal time for real deviations. Strict routes more contracts through Legal and tolerates smaller deviations before triggering escalation. Standard reflects typical mid-sized business practice.
Does the playbook change by jurisdiction and industry?
Yes. The governing law, dispute-resolution forum and data-protection regime referenced in the checklist adapt to your chosen jurisdiction (45 supported), and a sector-specific checklist addition is included based on your industry (19 supported) — the same industry logic used in Verbatra's MSA generator.
Do we still need a lawyer if we use this playbook?
This playbook is designed to let your team handle routine, standard-term contracts confidently on their own. The escalation triggers built into it are exactly the point where you should stop and bring in a lawyer — either your in-house counsel or an external one — rather than a substitute for that judgement.
Is Verbatra actually free?
Yes, every tool on Verbatra is free to use, with no payment or credit card required. Verbatra makes money by offering paid contract negotiation and legal-operations services to businesses who want a lawyer to take things further.