Illinois Edition Download - Construction Contract Writer

If you're an Illinois construction contractor, you need to be good at writing Illinois construction contracts.
Once installed on your Windows computer, Construction Contract Writer will make it easy to draft enforceable Illinois contracts that fit your jobs precisely and avoid the penalties imposed by Illinois and federal law.

• The Home Repair and Remodeling Act imposes a fine up to $2,500 for beginning work before a contract is signed. 815 Illinois Compiled Statutes section 513/15.
• The Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act imposes a two-year prison sentence and a fine up to $2,500 for using an incorrect business name or business address in a contract.
• The Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act gives the owner the right to demand return of all payments if work is not started and finished as provided in the contract. 815 Illinois Compiled Statutes 505/2Q(c). Punishment can result in a suspension of the right to do business in Illinois and a fine of up to $50,000. Section 505/7(c). The owner can sue to recover any loss and collect punitive damages, attorney fees and court costs. Section 505/10a.
• The Home Repair Fraud Act imposes a fine of up to $2,500 and two years in prison for (1) misrepresenting material facts about the job or (2) making false promises about the job, or (3) charging more than four times the fair market value of the work or (4) failing to comply with the building code. 815 Illinois Compiled Statutes Section 515/3.
• Any contract clause which would indemnify someone against their own negligence is void. 740 Illinois Compiled Statutes 35/1.
• Any contract clause which attempts to waive lien rights before the work is done is void. 770 Illinois Compiled Statutes 60/1(d).
• Any contract clause which excuses payment of a subcontractor until the prime contractor has been paid is void. 770 Illinois Compiled Statutes 60/21(e).
• Any agreement to arbitrate is void if specific language is omitted. 815 Illinois Compiled Statutes 513/15.1.
• Failure to make federal truth in lending disclosures requires restitution of the overcharge.
• Failure to include the disclosures required by 12 Code of Federal Regulations Section 226.15 extends the right of rescission to three years (rather than three days).
• Omitting insulation disclosures required by 16 Code of Federal Regulation Section 460 can result in an $11,000 fine.

When a job goes bad, you better have an iron-clad contract. Consider what happens if you get into a dispute before collecting final payment. An attorney for the other side won't be impressed with your two-page "legal in all 50 states" contract. Most likely, you'll discover that the signed agreement is either partially or totally unenforceable under state law. Game over! You lose. You're not going to collect another dime on that job. Fortunately, there's a better way.

Just answer a series of questions -- like an interview -- to construct a legal contract for each project you take on. Construction Contact Writer explains in plain English what you need to know before answering an interview question. If you know the job and you know what the job requires, Construction Contract Writer will do the rest.

Whether you are writing commercial or residential construction contracts, you'll be able to anticipate where disputes could arise and settle them in the contract before they happen. Then include the warranty protection you intend, the payment schedule, and create subcontracts from the prime contract.

Resolve key issues in your favor with bias control.
Many contract clauses in Construction Contract Writer suggest a bias that favors either the owner, the contractor or the subcontractor. That allows you to shift burden or risk to a particular party. Want to draft a contract that protects the property owner? No problem. Need an aggressive contract that pushes the limits in your favor? That's easy. Of course, if you just want a balanced and fair contract, Construction Contract Writer will do that too.

Need legal help drafting a contract?
Construction Contract Writer even includes a feedback button to an attorney on the Craftsman Book Co. staff to help if you get stumped. This service is free, and you can expect a response within 24 hours.

When you're done, save the contract for future use or modification at a later date. Print contracts directly or export to MS Word or Adobe PDF for electronic delivery or archiving on disk.

Construction contract law changes. But don't worry -- update subscriptions are available. Your contracts have to change to stay in compliance. That's why Construction Contract Writer includes an Update button. You'll be invited to click Update when a change affects the contracts you're drafting. A connection to the Web is required.

Even experienced construction contract attorneys will find plenty of useful reference material in Construction Contract Writer.
Construction Contract Writer cites local court decisions and code sections relevant to key interview questions.

System Requirements: