Non-Solicitation Clause
Who you can contact after the relationship ends, what counts as solicitation, and where these clauses overreach.
- Who is included in the restricted group
- How solicitation is defined
- Whether passive responses are carved out
- How long the restriction lasts
If this clause already feels aggressive in isolation, upload the full contract and see how it combines with payment terms, liabilities, and exit rights.
Analyze My ContractWhat this clause actually does
A non-solicitation clause limits your ability to recruit employees, approach clients, or do business with defined contacts after the deal ends. It is often narrower than a non-compete, but it can still be drafted so broadly that it blocks normal work. Many people sign it without noticing how wide the client or employee definitions actually are.
Why people get burned by this clause
The wording decides whether you can work with prior contacts, whether passive acceptance is allowed, and how much of your future pipeline gets cut off after you leave.
What should make you slow down
- The clause covers every client of the company, not just the ones you worked with
- Passive acceptance is treated the same as active outreach
- The employee restriction covers people you never supervised or knew
- The duration is long with no clear business justification
- The clause is paired with a broad non-compete that creates layered restrictions
Where you usually see it
- Employment contracts
- Severance agreements
- Partnership and founder exits
- Independent contractor agreements
- Business sale documents
What the platform checks in the live contract
- Who is included in the restricted group
- How solicitation is defined
- Whether passive responses are carved out
- How long the restriction lasts
- How it interacts with state law and any non-compete language
What stronger language usually looks like
- The restricted group is limited to real relationships
- Passive acceptance is treated separately
- The duration is reasonable
- The language is not used as a disguised non-compete
Definitions worth opening next
Articles that go deeper
See how this clause behaves in the real contract.
The clause library gives you judgment. The full review shows how this clause combines with the rest of the agreement, then quotes the exact language, scores the risk, and explains what to push on next.