Legals By Design® is my signature approach to creating legal documents for small and growing businesses. It has four elements: a client-centric approach (including fixed, value-based fees), better communication, richer outcomes and implementation. The result is legal documents that are tailored to how your business actually works, written in plain English, reflect your brand and are set up properly, so they're enforceable when you need to rely on them.
For a long time, I've been working on how to explain, simply and clearly, how I do what I do when I work with my clients, and how I create legal documents that genuinely work for small business owners. Legals By Design® is the result.
Where Legals By Design® comes from
Legals By Design® has developed over my more than 20-year career, including 12 years as a litigation lawyer, where we challenged contracts every day of the week. That experience taught me exactly what goes wrong when legal documents don't fit the business using them, and what makes them hold up when they're tested.
By "legals," I mean the documents that reduce your business's risk: your client agreements and terms and conditions, website terms, privacy policy, and the contracts you have with your team and suppliers, all tailored to your industry, the way you operate and your risks.
I know many people find these topics either dull or overwhelming. For me, hand on heart, they're a genuine passion. I love designing documents that I know will work.
The four elements of Legals By Design®
1. A client-centric approach
Clients come to me because they want support in the way that they need. My approach is flexible and tailored to meet each client where they're at, whatever stage their business is at and whatever challenges they're facing.
That extends to how I charge. I work on fixed fees and a value-based model. I don't charge in 6-minute increments, and I don't charge clients more the more they communicate with me.
2. Better communication
My superpower is making the complex simple. I dive into the legal detail, digest it, and explain it in a way that clients understand and feel empowered by. Good collaboration needs clear communication in both directions, so I want my clients to feel comfortable asking questions until they're confident in what they've been told.
3. Richer outcomes
Richer outcomes mean legal documents that are tailored, branded and work specifically for your business. They're relevant, current and comply with your legal obligations. They contain practical terms you can understand and apply. And they reflect your values and professionalism, so they become another touchpoint in your client experience.
Most importantly, they're fair and enforceable, which makes them worth their weight in gold when you need to rely on them.
4. Implementation
It's not enough to create great documents. They have to be used properly to work. This is the step that's most often missed, and it's where my litigation background matters most. I've seen documents fail because they were sent in the wrong order, never properly accepted, or didn't match what the business actually did.
Implementation means working with you to review your setup, including your proposals, onboarding process and CRM, and making sure your documents are sent and accepted in the right sequence.
Why templates fall short
Templates are tempting, but they often leave businesses exposed. As a litigator, I saw businesses end up in disputes for one simple reason: they didn't have the right documents in place. Templates commonly fall short in four ways:
They don't reflect your business. Generic legalese like "herein referred to as" feels cold and doesn't match your brand or the way you speak to clients.
They miss industry-specific risks. An interior designer needs to deal with procurement and custom purchases; a coach needs to deal with program changes and refunds. A template won't.
They get warranties and liability wrong. One-size-fits-all clauses rarely match the services you actually provide.
They may not be enforceable. Missing provisions, the wrong wording, unfair terms, or terms sent in the wrong order can leave you with a contract you can't rely on.
As I always say, DIY is for Bunnings, not for your legals. Read more in Are template documents adequate for my business?
Your legal documents are part of your brand
Legal documents aren't just a necessity. They're an extension of your brand, your values and your commitment to your clients.
Think about your client's journey. They find you online, they love your work, and they're almost ready to commit. Then they read your terms and conditions. If those documents are vague, full of jargon or out of step with your brand, you might lose them. If they're clear, warm and on brand, they reassure your client that you're a professional worth investing in.
The same applies to everything you send: your proposal, your agreement, your invoices. Every document is a first impression, so:
make sure your documents are tailored to your business, and that you understand them;
keep your names, figures and details accurate;
proofread before you send; and
keep your documents current as your business, your services and the law change.
Done well, your legal documents help you turn prospects into clients, and clients into loyal advocates.
Is Legals By Design® right for you?
Legals By Design® is for business owners who want legal documents they understand, feel proud of and can rely on. Whether you're starting out, refreshing documents you've outgrown, or growing and want a lawyer in your corner on an ongoing basis through fractional in-house counsel, the approach is the same.
You can hear more about it in episode #169 of the Rise Up in Business podcast, Legals By Design®: I am thrilled to share this with you, and in 4 things your templated legals could be missing and How to use your legals to convert prospects to clients.
Ready to talk about your legal documents? Download the free Essential Legal Checklist, then book an introduction call.
This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Your obligations depend on your specific circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
What is Legals By Design®?
Legals By Design® is Tracey Mylecharane's signature approach to creating legal documents for small and growing businesses. It combines a client-centric approach, better communication, richer outcomes and careful implementation.
How is Legals By Design® different from using templates?
Templates are generic. Legals By Design® documents are tailored to your industry, the way you operate and your brand, and they're set up and sent in the right sequence so they're enforceable when you need them.
How much does Legals By Design® cost?
TM Legal Atelier works on fixed fees and a value-based model, so you know the cost upfront. There are no 6-minute increments and no extra charges for asking questions.
