Is the written contract still king?

CONTRACT IS KING?

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Michael Connell, lawyer and founder of Connell Associates, outlines an important change to contract law and how it could affect financial advisers.

Putting pen to paper, and signing on the dotted line, has always signified a ‘done deal’. Whether it is a meaty tied agent agreement, or just carrying out day-to-day business – such as orders and purchasing – the written contract has always been deemed as ‘king’. In the UK, commercial contract law has been honed and developed to provide guarantees and security for any company entering into business with another. The art of broking means that professional advisers naturally sit in the middle, facing contractual pressures and obligations from both clients and providers. As a result, the...

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