Illustration of a small cafe interior with wooden furniture, teal shutters, and warm sunlight
Illustrative scene; not a specific property or business.

Identify the business and signing authority

Confirm the legal names of the parties and the capacity of the person signing. A trading name, sole proprietor, corporation, and partnership are not interchangeable descriptions. Ask for relevant registration and authority documents where appropriate. The Department of Trade and Industry explains that business-name registration is not a licence to operate; local permits and other requirements are separate matters. For an operation in Dumaguete, check the applicable local process rather than assuming that a registration certificate resolves every compliance question.

Describe the work in terms both sides can measure

Specify what will be supplied, where and when delivery occurs, and what counts as completion or acceptance. Include quantities, specifications, milestones, and any work excluded from the price. If a proposal, drawing, or quotation forms part of the deal, identify its version and attach it. A phrase such as “complete renovation” or “full marketing service” can conceal different expectations. Ask the lawyer to check whether the written scope reflects the actual bargain, especially when obligations extend over several months.

Connect payments to the agreed performance

Read the deposit, installment, invoicing, tax, and final-payment terms together. Clarify additional expenses and the approval process for extra work. If the agreement includes interest, penalties, security, or a personal guarantee, ask what those provisions mean for the business and the individual signer. Keep payment instructions and receipts, and independently confirm unexpected changes to bank details. A low headline price can be misleading if important services or costs are left outside the document.

Consider changes, problems, and early exit

Ask how variations will be approved, what happens after a delay or defect, and whether either side can terminate. Check required notices, opportunities to correct a problem, refunds, and obligations that continue after the agreement ends. For digital or creative work, discuss access credentials, confidential information, ownership, and use of the finished work. Avoid copying clauses from an unrelated business without review. The aim is a workable allocation of responsibilities, not a document filled with terms nobody has considered.

Keep the final agreement and the performance trail

Retain the signed contract, incorporated attachments, later changes, delivery records, invoices, and important correspondence. Identify who can approve changes for each side. If a disagreement arises, make a timeline and separate agreed facts from disputed ones. Check the dispute-resolution and venue provisions with counsel, and ask whether barangay conciliation, small claims, or another route could apply. A demand for payment should be based on the agreement and evidence rather than an unsupported threat or an assumption about automatic remedies.

Before your consultation

Keep these together

  • Correct party names and authority documents
  • A precise scope with attached specifications
  • Payment, change, and termination provisions
  • A complete signed copy and performance records

References: Department of Trade and Industry, BNRS FAQs; Civil Code of the Philippines, general contract provisions; Dumaguete City business-permit information. Checked September 29, 2026.