Editorial methodology

Every BeforeSigning guide and tool output is grounded in primary contract-law sources — federal employment statutes, state law, ABA/state-bar guidance, and standard contract template language used in the industry. We don't cite anecdotes presented as real cases unless they trace to public reporting, and we don't fabricate quoted sample sizes.

Primary sources

• Federal employment law — OWBPA (29 U.S.C. § 626(f)), ADEA, FLSA, Defend Trade Secrets Act, Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower provisions.
• State non-compete and restrictive-covenant statutes — California Bus. & Prof. Code § 16600, Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act, Washington and Illinois salary thresholds, the FTC non-compete rule history.
• ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (where relevant to ethical obligations referenced).
• ISO and CCC One contract template language for SaaS, NDA, freelance, and severance agreements.
• Federal Arbitration Act and Supreme Court rulings (Concepcion, Epic Systems) for arbitration / class-action-waiver guidance.

Review process

1. Each guide is researched against primary sources before drafting.
2. State-specific enforcement rules are cited to statute or the relevant state attorney-general guidance and dated.
3. Sample clause language is illustrative — not lifted from a specific real contract.
4. Counter-offer templates are starting points for editing, not production-ready legal language for your jurisdiction.
5. Guides are reviewed at least annually; the review date appears in the editorial block at the bottom.

What we explicitly don't do

• ×We don't provide legal advice. For any contract above $25,000 in value, any equity-related agreement, or any cross-border contract, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
• ×We don't fabricate specific sample sizes for surveys we can't verify.
• ×We don't recommend signing or refusing any specific contract — the tool flags clauses; the decision is yours and ideally your attorney's.

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