Client responsibilities are one of the most strategically written sections in a software development contract—and one of the most commonly ignored by buyers. When this section is vague, generic, or buried, it becomes a liability trap that allows vendors to shift blame...

Change is inevitable in software projects. Exploitation of change is optional—but many contracts quietly allow it. When change control clauses are written to favor the vendor, cost creep becomes structural rather than accidental. The red flag is language that treats...

Milestones are supposed to measure progress. When they are defined only by dates instead of tangible outputs, they measure nothing at all. In software development contracts, date-only milestones create the illusion of control while removing accountability. A milestone...

Time & Materials contracts are often justified as “flexible” or “agile-friendly,” but without explicit guardrails, they are structurally one-sided. When effort is uncapped and oversight is weak, cost control disappears—and the client becomes the shock absorber for...

In software development contracts, the definition of “done” is the line between delivery and disagreement. When that line is missing or subjective, disputes are not a possibility—they are inevitable. Without objective acceptance criteria, completion becomes a matter...

Assumptions are where contracts intersect with reality. When they are missing or poorly defined, software development contracts become optimistic fiction. The project may look clean on paper, but the moment execution begins, hidden dependencies surface—and someone has...

Vague scope is not an accident. In software development contracts, it is often a deliberate risk-shifting mechanism. When a Statement of Work uses phrases like “as needed,” “where applicable,” “best practices,” or “industry standard,” it avoids commitment while...

Weak governance is one of the most expensive flaws you can bake into a software development contract—because it guarantees that small problems will grow unchecked until they become budget, schedule, or legal failures. When a Statement of Work lacks clear governance...