Know what you need
before you generate.

A Privacy Policy is legally required in the US if your website or app collects personal data. Federal law (COPPA) applies if you collect data from children under 13. State laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) apply based on where your users are — not where you're based.

CCPA applies to your business if you:

• Have annual gross revenue over $25 million, OR
• Buy, sell, or share personal data of 100,000+ consumers per year, OR
• Derive 50%+ of annual revenue from selling or sharing personal data

Even if CCPA doesn't apply, you still need a Privacy Policy if you collect any of:

• Contact form submissions or email signups
• Analytics data via Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or similar
• Payment information processed via Stripe, PayPal, etc.
• Cookies or tracking pixels for advertising
• User accounts with any personal information

Have this ready before you generate:

• Your business name and website URL
• What data you collect and why
• Third-party tools you use (Google Analytics, Stripe, Meta Pixel, etc.)
• A contact email for privacy requests
• Whether you sell or share data with third parties

Terms of Service (also called Terms of Use or Terms and Conditions) define the legal relationship between you and your users. Unlike a Privacy Policy, they aren't always legally mandated — but without them, you have almost no protection if a user sues you, abuses your service, or demands a refund.

You should have Terms of Service if you:

• Sell products or services online
• Run a SaaS product or subscription service
• Allow users to create accounts, post content, or upload files
• Want to limit your liability for service downtime or errors
• Need to specify the governing state law for disputes

Decide these things before you generate:

• Refund and cancellation policy — all sales final? Free trial terms?
• Who owns user-generated content — posts, reviews, uploads
• Limitation of liability — what you're not responsible for
• Account termination rules — when you can suspend users
• Governing law and dispute resolution — which US state's courts apply

An NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) is a contract where one or both parties agree to keep certain information confidential. Always sign one before sharing sensitive business information — an NDA signed after the fact is worth little.

Common US situations that need an NDA:

• Hiring a contractor or freelancer who will access your codebase, designs, or customer data
• Discussing a potential partnership, acquisition, or joint venture
• Sharing a product idea, invention, or trade secret with an investor or advisor
• Working with a vendor who handles proprietary business information

Mutual vs one-way:

• Mutual (bilateral) NDA — both parties share sensitive info and both are bound. Use for partnerships, investor discussions, M&A due diligence.
• One-way (unilateral) NDA — only one party shares confidential info. Use when hiring contractors, vendors, or consultants.

What to decide before generating:

• Duration of confidentiality (1–5 years is standard; trade secrets can be indefinite)
• What specifically is covered — business plans, source code, customer lists, financial data
• Governing state (Delaware for businesses; California if both parties are CA-based)
• Whether to include a non-solicitation clause (prevents poaching employees)

An Independent Contractor Agreement defines the relationship between a business and a self-employed worker. Getting this wrong — treating a contractor like an employee — can result in significant IRS penalties and back taxes.

The IRS uses three criteria to determine contractor status:

• Behavioral control — you cannot dictate how the work is done, only the result
• Financial control — the contractor can work for other clients and sets their own rates
• Type of relationship — no benefits, no long-term exclusivity implied, written contract exists

Your agreement must cover:

• Scope of work — exactly what will be delivered, by when
• Payment terms — rate, invoicing schedule, payment method
• IP assignment — who owns the work product (should be you, the client)
• Confidentiality — what business information stays private
• Independent contractor status — explicit language that they are not an employee
• Termination conditions — notice period and kill-fee clauses

Tax note: If you pay a contractor $600 or more in a calendar year, you must issue them a 1099-NEC form. The contractor is responsible for their own self-employment taxes (15.3%).

An offer letter formalises your hiring decision before the employee starts. In the US, most employment is at-will — meaning either party can end the relationship at any time, for any legal reason, without notice. Your offer letter must preserve this status.

Every US offer letter should include:

• Job title and reporting structure — who they report to
• Compensation — base salary or hourly rate, pay frequency (bi-weekly is most common)
• Start date and work location — office, remote, or hybrid
• Benefits summary — health insurance, 401(k), PTO policy, sick leave
• At-will employment statement — explicit language that either party may terminate without cause
• Contingencies — background check, I-9 verification, drug test if applicable
• Offer expiry date — give 3–5 business days to sign

What to avoid:

• Phrases like "permanent position" or "long-term role" — these can undermine at-will status
• Promising specific severance unless you intend to provide it contractually
• Vague compensation language — always specify annual or hourly, and pay frequency

An LLC operating agreement is the internal rulebook of your Limited Liability Company. While most states don't require you to file it, California and New York now legally require LLCs to have a written operating agreement. Without one, your LLC is governed by the default rules in your state's LLC statute — which rarely reflect what the members actually agreed to.

Core sections every operating agreement should include:

• Members and ownership percentages — who owns what, in writing
• Management structure — member-managed (all owners run the business) or manager-managed (designated manager(s) with delegated authority)
• Capital contributions — what each member puts in at formation, and the process for additional contributions
• Profit and loss allocation — usually pro-rata to ownership %, but can be customised
• Distribution schedule — when and how profits are paid out (quarterly is common; always retain reserves for operations)
• Voting rights and decision thresholds — routine vs. major decisions, and whether each member votes per capita or by ownership %
• Transfer restrictions — what happens if a member wants to sell their interest
• Buy-sell provisions — buyout procedures on death, disability, or voluntary exit
• Dissolution procedure — how the LLC is wound down and assets distributed

Member-managed vs. Manager-managed:

In a member-managed LLC, every member can sign contracts and bind the company. Use this structure when all owners are active in the business. In a manager-managed LLC, day-to-day authority is delegated to a designated manager (who may or may not be a member). This is common when you have passive investors or want a clear operational hierarchy.