We now provide Lawpath online legal documents for business websites

When on a tight budget, legal documents are often cobbled together from online templates that don’t even begin to protect your business in your jurisdiction or where your clients are using your website. I’ve seen a lot of Australian small businesses using T&Cs they’ve grabbed from the internet that are written to comply with Californian law. At worst these docs are overlooked completely, and I know there are many small businesses out there that don’t have these documents on their websites at all.

Our partnership with Lawpath helps to eliminate this problem for better-protected and legally compliant business websites.

Essential legal documents for your business website

If you own or operate a business website, it’s important to have the right legal documents in place. These documents protect your business, ensure compliance with Australian/US/UK/other laws, and help build client trust. Below, we outline the key legal docs every website needs.

1. Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions (T&Cs) set out the rules users must agree to when accessing or using your website. This document acts as a contract between your business and your users, helping to limit your liability and protect your intellectual property. Key elements to include are:

• User obligations: define how users are allowed to interact with your website.
• Intellectual property rights: specify who owns the content on your site. This can help to deter other businesses from plagiarising your content, and also gives you a leg to stand on if you need to issue a Cease & Desist or similar request.
• Disclaimers and limitations of liability: protect your business from liability for errors, downtime, or user misuse.
• Governing law: specify that the laws of your location govern your T&Cs. For Studio Cvr, that’s New South Wales, Australia.

Does your business need to publish Website Terms & Conditions online?

Yes! All businesses are legally required to display website terms and conditions under Australian Consumer Law. This doc is important to protect your business from a range of issues, including protection of your intellectual property, rights in regard to use of your services, liability, and jurisdiction should anything go wrong. Lawpath explains this better than I do, so check out the video below to get their take on what your T&Cs should include.

2. Privacy Policy

A privacy policy is legally required if your website collects personal information from users, such as names, email addresses, or payment details. In Australia, the Privacy Act 1988 including the Australian Privacy Principles govern the collection, storage, and use of personal data. Your privacy policy should clearly outline:

• What personal information you collect and why.
• How you store, use, and protect this information.
• Whether you share user data with third parties. If you use Google Analytics, or any number of other third-party apps to help run your website, this is likely relevant to you.
• How users can access or correct their personal information.
• Your process for handling complaints about privacy breaches.

If your website targets potential clients in Europe or California, you may also need to comply with the GDPR or CCPA, respectively.

Why is a website privacy policy important?

I think it’s fair to say that we’re all more aware of data privacy than ever before. In the face of the recent Optus and Medibank breaches here in Australia, the public conversation around what data companies are collecting, how it is being used and when it is disposed of.  about how our own data is used, stored and when it is deleted.

More than half of Australians want tighter privacy laws, according to a Guardian poll. It’s safe to assume that the law will move on this in coming years. In the meantime, we’re definitely in an ethically sticky area where it will be beneficial to decide what data your business needs to collect — both direct data provided by users and data inadvertently scraped from them as they pass through your website.

I’m not saying all tracking is bad. For some businesses, it may make sense to track certain activities online to be able to better support clients. But we can all be deciding how and when that needs to happen to ensure those decisions are made with eyes open.

3. Cookie Policy

Cookies are small data files stored on a user’s device to enhance their browsing experience. If your website targets potential clients in California, the UK, the EU (and an increasing list of jurisdictions) and your website uses third-party cookies, you must disclose this to users. A cookie policy should include:

• What types of cookies your site uses (e.g., functional, analytical, or advertising cookies).
• Why these cookies are used.
• How users can manage or disable cookies via their browser settings.

For compliance with international laws like the GDPR, consider implementing a cookie consent banner.

4. Refund and Return Policy

If you sell goods or services online, Australian Consumer Law requires you to provide clear information about refunds and returns. Your policy should cover:

• Conditions under which refunds, exchanges, or returns are available.
• Timeframes for initiating returns.
• Procedures for processing refunds.

5. Website Accessibility Statement (optional but recommended)

While not legally required in Australia, having a website accessibility statement demonstrates your commitment to inclusivity and compliance with accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

What website legal documents are included with Studio Clvr websites?

Our partnership with Lawpath gives access to two free legal documents. We recommend all new business go for a Privacy Policy and Website Terms and Conditions to get started.

Businesses that have been running for a while and are coming to us for a website redesign may already have some of the standard website documents, such as Privacy Policy and Website Terms and Conditions in place. The six documents Lawpath have included in the offer give some choice to Studio Clvr clients, so you can still get two free legal docs for requirements that your business may not have covered yet.

You can choose the documents you need from the following list:

• Privacy Policy: this is one of the most important documents on your website! Make sure you are following the law across all of the jurisdictions in which your business operates.
• Website Terms and Conditions of Use: cover yourself by setting out the rules that apply when people interact with use your website.
• Shipping Policy: if you sell physical products, having a shipping policy is a legal requirement to sell online.
• Refund Policy: whether you sell physical products or services, you must have a refund policy on your website.
• Cancellation Policy: make your cancellation policy super clear to avoid drama from cancelled appointments or services.
• Contractor Agreement (Individual): set up the rules for how you will legally engage with contractors who aren’t registered companies in their own right.

Need more than two online legal documents to protect your small business?

Lawpath also has affordable pricing for one-off or regular legal help for small businesses, so if you need extra legal docs or support, I can recommend them as a great option to keep your costs down while simultaneously protecting your business as it grows. They operate Australia-wide, so have documents specific to state laws where you are.

What about Studio Clvr clients outside of Australia?

We’ve partnered with Termageddon for a while now, and continue to support our international clients with 10% off the first year for their Privacy Policy and Website Terms generator. Just ask if you’re interested in learning more about this.

No more excuses for not having up-to-date online legal documents

So there you have it—legal documents for your website are at your fingertips. Implementing these legal documents on your website protects your business from potential legal disputes and builds transparency and trust with your website users—your potential clients. Taking the time to get these right is an investment in your business’s long-term success.

If you’re looking for a new website or a redesign, you might want to check out our web design packages, which include these legal doc offers as standard. The free Lawpath docs can also be thrown in as part of our Clever Day service if you’re doing a general website refresh or need website help smashing through your website to-do list. Just add it to your list and let us know!

Disclaimers:

I am not a lawyer and the information on the Studio Clvr website does not constitute legal advice. Consult a lawyer for specific legal advice.

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