The Weagree Wizard’s clause library is key to organising your contract knowhow. By adding standard clauses to the library, you can quickly create a comprehensive collection of provisions and common contract components – complete with questionnaire elements, definition triggers and dynamic cross-references – that can be used across any number of templates and individual contracts. Both administrators (for template creation purposes) and authorised end-users (for contract drafting purposes) can benefit from the clause library.
The clause library distinguishes between global building blocks and global contract clauses. Within the structure of a template, they fulfil the same roles and occupy the same spaces as local (i.e. ‘regular’) building blocks and contract clauses, respectively. However, both are collected in and managed from one place, and editing any single global building block or global contract clause will in effect instantly update all templates (and individual contracts’ questionnaires) in which it is used. This minimises maintenance time and ensures uniformity throughout your contracts.
To get you started, Weagree offers a variety of free global building blocks and global contract clauses that you may use and edit as you like.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Organising the clause library
B. Using the clause library
C. The Template Creation Tool
A. ORGANISING THE CLAUSE LIBRARY
The clause library can be accessed either from the Administrator page or from the Template Creation Tool. It is divided into separate subtabs for global building blocks and global contract clauses, as well as categories and keywords used to indicate their purpose.
1. To organise the clause library from the Administrator page:
a. Navigate to Contract creation > (Contract) templates > Clause library
b. Select the applicable subtab.
2. To organise the clause library from the Template Creation Tool:
a. Click Insert or organise global building blocks (clause library).
b. Select the applicable subtab.
3. On the Global building blocks (articles) or Global contract clauses ((sub)sections) subtab, to create a new global building block or global contract clause:
a. Click Create.
b. Insert a name.
c. Enable Show in clause library if this component must be available for use in individual contracts.
Note: when enabled, authorised users can choose to add the global building block or global contract clause to any individual contract they are drafting. The clause library will be accessible from the questionnaire, and permit insertion of this component anywhere within the contract. This will not affect the underlying template, of course.
d. Select a user group.
Note: the user group setting is used to determine which end-users authorised to use the clause library will have access to this component. For more information on how user groups work, click here.
e. Optionally, change the owner of this component.
Note: this is used mainly for administrative reasons. As an administrator, assigning the component to another user will not affect your access or ability to edit it.
f. Optionally, select a category, keyword, language, file and explanatory note. The first three make it easier to find the right global building block or global contract clause, the last two can be used to provide guidance.
g. Click Save.
4. An existing global building block’s or global contract clause’s details can be edited by clicking on its name in the list.
5. Click Delete to remove any selected global building block or global contract clause.
Note: be very careful with this, as the selected components will be permanently removed not only from the clause library, but also from any templates and individual contracts to which they were previously added.
6. Click Edit to open a selected global building block or global contract clause in the Template Creation Tool and edits its contents (see also section C below).
Note: it is possible to insert global contract clauses into global building blocks and even into other global contract clauses.
7. On the Organise categories and keywords subtab, to insert a new category or keyword:
a. Click Insert.
b. Insert a name.
c. Click Save.
8. An existing category or keyword can be edited by clicking on its name in the list.
9. Click Delete to remove any selected categories or keywords.
B. USING THE CLAUSE LIBRARY
As an administrator, you can insert global building blocks and global contract clauses directly into any template, at any place within its outline. This is done from within the Template Creation Tool.
1. Select the template component beneath which you want to insert a global building block or global contract clause.
Note: global building blocks will always act as building blocks and therefore cannot be placed within other building blocks or contract clauses (i.e. they cannot be ‘indented’ in the template structure). Global contract clauses can be placed within either building blocks or contract clauses, however.
2. Click Insert or organise global building blocks (clause library).
3. On the applicable subtab, select the intended global building block or global contract clause.
4. Optionally, change the Place under selection.
Note: the options available will depend on whether you are inserting a global building block or global contract clause. In the latter case, it will list the subclauses of the building block or contract clause selected at step 1.
5. Click Insert in template.
You can recognise global building blocks and global contract clauses in the template’s outline by their grey backgrounds (e.g. Parties block – the standard in the screenshot above). Once they have been inserted, they can be moved up and down the outline, or removed from it again, in the same way as local building blocks and contract clauses.
It is also possible to apply (global) clause inclusions to global building blocks and global contract clauses, and you can cross-reference them (or any clauses they contain) in local building blocks and local contract clauses.
C. THE TEMPLATE CREATION TOOL
From the Template Creation Tool, previously created local building blocks and local contract clauses can be ‘upgraded’ to global components and added to the clause library. It is also required to define or change the contents of any global building block or global contract clause.
1. To add a local building block or local contract clause to the clause library:
a. Select the applicable local building block or local contract clause.
b. Click Insert this building block/contract clause into the clause library (…).
c. Fill in the fields as applicable (refer to step 3 of section A above).
d. Click Save.
This will directly convert the local component into the applicable type of global component.
2. To edit an inserted global building block or global contract clause:
a. Select the applicable global building block or global contract clause.
b. Click Focus on this global building block/global contract clause.
c. A browser pop-up appears. Confirm that you want to continue.
d. Edit the global component’s contents as needed.
Note: any changes you make here will be instantaneously visible in any template or individual contract that uses this global component.
