You do not need a lawyer to create and sign a non-disclosure agreement. However, if the information you are trying to protect is important enough to warrant an NDA, you may want to have the document reviewed by someone with legal expertise.
While a one to five-year period is common, business owners must tailor the NDA's lifespan to protect their interests effectively. The optimal duration should ensure that confidential information remains protected for as long as it retains its value and sensitivity.
Before signing an NDA, look out for seven crucial red flags that could limit your freedom or expose you to risks, including broad definitions of confidential information, indefinite duration, lack of mutuality, restrictive non-compete clauses, absence of provisions for legal disclosures, unclear remedies for breach, ...
The nondisclosure agreement should identify the parties to the agreement and which one is the disclosing party, or side sharing the information, and the recipient. Names and addresses of the parties should be included. The agreement should also identify other individuals who may be parties to the agreement.
Typically, a legal professional writing the NDA will complete these steps: Step 1 - Describe the scope. Which information is considered confidential? ... Step 2 - Detail party obligations. Step 3 - Note potential exclusions. Step 4 - Set the term. Step 5 - Spell out consequences.
A good NDA describes why you're sharing the information without specifying the confidential information. For example, 'The purpose of the NDA is to': Evaluate the new technology.
The key elements of Non-Disclosure Agreements: Identification of the parties. Definition of what is deemed to be confidential. The scope of the confidentiality obligation by the receiving party. The exclusions from confidential treatment. The term of the agreement.
To create an NDA simply and quickly, use a pre-existing non-disclosure agreement template like the pre-approved templates from . You should simply: Log in to and choose the NDA Template. Edit the template to include a description of the confidential information and the scope of the agreement.
In California, a nondisclosure agreement may be enforceable, provided it meets basic criteria. The restrictive covenant must be properly drafted. This entails clear writing, detailed information about the confidential components of the contract, and a clearly stated extent of the confidentiality obligation.
If you need an NDA, looking at templates online isn't a bad place to start, but ideally you should work with a lawyer who can write a simple NDA for you or tweak the one you have. You may be able to find someone in your community who can do it for a few hundred bucks.