Contract help

[sravan]

<p>Hi Folks,<br>

I am embarking on my first wedding and i need help with the contract. Till now i have been doing small events only and so havent really been doing contracts other than a simple email etc.<br>

Even though this event is also small enough to be in my comfort zone from a photography perspective, i do think the emotions run high for weddings. So I want to have a contract. </p>

<p>I pulled some sample contracts etc from the web and from the Best business practices for photographers, but I am not comfortable doing this myself. I dont even know what aspects to put into the contract.</p>

<p>I live in NJ. Can you folks refer me to a lawyer who understands photography business and maybe willing to help a newbie craft a simple contract?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

[MichaelChang]

<p>Sravan, you might find a local contract lawyer from this link:<br>

<a href="http://lawyers.findlaw.com/lawyer/practicestate/contracts/new-jersey">http://lawyers.findlaw.com/lawyer/practicestate/contracts/new-jersey</a></p>

<p>Alternatively, you can sign up and post this question in Quora where many practicing attorneys congregate and might help you with answers:<br>

<a href="http://www.quora.com/Attorneys">http://www.quora.com/Attorneys</a></p>

[katrin_d.]

<p>PPA has plenty of resources as well: https://www.ppa.com/search/search.cfm?QuickSearch=sample+contracts</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>It's very important to have a contract, even for your first wedding, and in an ideal world that is one custom-written for you by a good attorney who knows photography and knows exactly what you want. But for your first wedding, i would go with one of the better sample contracts. If you go to an attorney, it's very likely to wipe out your profit from the wedding. Better to get a few weddings under your belt 1) to see if you're going to turn this into enough of a business to justify the expense of an attorney and 2) so you will have figured out what you need (if anything) beyond the sample contract so you know what to ask for.</p>

[sravan]

Thank you folks.

[MichaelChang]

<blockquote>

<p><em>"If you go to an attorney, it's very likely to wipe out your profit from the wedding."</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>A wedding gone badly without adequate contractual protection can also wipe out any profit, or worse. <br>

<br>

My understanding is, any part of the contract which is unclear or absent will be ruled by the court in favor of the party who did not write the contract - the client. For example, without a "kill clause", a photographer will receive no compensation for a cancelled wedding. <br>

</p>