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Honest Contracts, LLC

Is it true that no one reads contracts?

Published 7 months ago • 1 min read

August 6, 2025 | 1

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People don't read contracts (and I can't blame them)

In a survey of over 1,000 consumers and 274 small business owners in the U.S., 70% of consumers and 62% of business owners admitted to signing contracts without reading them.

The top reason stated was that contracts are too long and difficult to understand.

A more thoughtful contract design is one part of the solution to the "no-reading problem" and it can be done by anyone.

Non-Legal tricks to make contracts better-- without a lawyer

Better contract design and formatting can make all the difference for the reading experience of the contract's intended users. Try these next time:

  • Leave lots of white space on the page; visually separate paragraphs and sections.
  • Group contract clauses intuitively and use clear headings.
  • Number each paragraph for easy reference.
  • Break up long paragraphs and sentences.
  • Anytime there's a list, use bullet points or other visual cues.
  • Don't put full sentences in all caps-- that will actually make the reader less likely to read it; use bold or larger print to draw special attention.

These tips and more are featured in the video below with visual examples.
video preview​

Introducing our Learning Library

You'll find a growing collection of blog posts and videos with answers to common legal questions and other important legal information for you and your business.

Want legal eyes on your contracts?
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See you next month!

P.S. from Nadia: Contract design is a largely unknown and underrated art and you have not heard the last of it. Just wait until you see what's possible!

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