Contract guides that actually help you decide.
Clear articles for people who need to understand a contract fast, not spend an hour decoding legal language.
Indemnification Cap and Basket: What's Market?
Check an APA indemnification cap and basket against ABA 2025 and SRS 2026 benchmarks: medians, basket types, and tipping vs deductible examples.
Read featured guide →Proof datasets
Primary-sourced benchmarks built from the original filing. See all of them on the benchmarks hub.
FDD Item 7 Investment Benchmark
46 franchise FDDs, total investment $92,640 to $7,960,300
Read the benchmark →APA Indemnity Risk Map
9 indemnification terms benchmarked to the 2025 ABA Private Target Study
Read the benchmark →Commercial Lease Red Flags
91 ABA Model Lease clauses, each with red flag, landlord trap, and fix
Read the benchmark →SBA Seller-Note Standby Rules
SBA SOP 50 10 8 seller-note treatment across every acquisition scenario
Read the benchmark →FDD Item 7: Estimated Initial Investment Table Explained
Free 1-10 risk read on your FDD. How to read the Item 7 estimated initial investment table: low-high ranges, working capital, and reserves buyers underestimate.
Read article →FDD Red Flags: 23 Items Franchise Buyers Should Check (2026)
FDD red flags hide in fees, supplier rules, territory limits, Item 19 claims, Item 20 closures, and renewal terms. A buyer checklist before your attorney call.
FDD Review Checklist: What Franchise Buyers Verify (2026)
Use this FDD review checklist to verify fees, supplier rules, territory, Item 19 claims, Item 20 turnover, renewal terms, and attorney questions before you buy.
Franchise Due Diligence Checklist: 40+ Items to Verify
Free 1-10 risk read on your FDD, plus a franchise due diligence checklist: FDD, Item 19 claims, Item 20 data, lease, and lender traps to verify before you buy.
Area Development Rights: The Fine Print
Area development rights give exclusivity in a defined territory under a defined development schedule. The schedule, grace periods, and consequences of missed milestones are where exclusivity evaporates.
FDD Item 19 Financial Performance Representations Explained
Free 1-10 risk read on your FDD. Item 19 financial performance representations are optional, but any claim a franchisor makes must have support. What to verify.
FDD Item 3 Litigation: How to Read It
FDD Item 3 discloses the franchisor's litigation history. Ten years of pending and closed cases. What the patterns tell you about the franchisor's enforcement posture and how to weigh it before signing.
Franchise Non-Compete Scope: State-by-State
Franchise non-compete enforceability varies dramatically by state. California voids most. Florida enforces aggressively. How to read your state's position before you sign and what alternatives exist in restrictive states.
Multi-Unit Development Agreements Explained
Multi-unit development agreements (MUDAs) lock franchisees into multi-unit commitments with discounted fees. Cross-default scope, personal guarantee exposure, and the development schedule language that amplifies downside.
Personal Guarantees in Franchise Agreements
Franchise agreements typically require personal guarantees from the franchisee and spouse. Carve-outs for homestead, retirement accounts, and tenants-by-entirety property determine what household assets are reachable.