Ten reasons to get it in writing

Business arrangements can sometimes go sour despite the best intentions of the parties. One way to lessen the risk of problems is to put the agreement in writing. Here are ten reasons why that is a good idea. 1. An oral contract is not worth the paper its written on. 2. The person you dealt with at the other company might leave or get hit by a bus. 3. It brings clarity - no one really knows what the deal is until its in writing. 4. Corporate memory is highly over-rated. 5. Judges, regulators, and tax collectors like written agreements. 6. You are less likely to hear "That's not how we figured the deal". 7. The process of putting it on paper leads to a true meeting of the minds. 8. Better to kill the deal early if you can't sort out your differences, than later after investing time and money. 9. People remember what they want to remember. 10. Combats the "but that's not how we do things here now" retort part way through the deal.