When you’re preparing for a big launch in your business – whether it’s a new digital product, an existing service, membership, or course – your to-do list probably feels endless.
There’s sales pages to build, email funnels to write, social media teasers to create, and don’t forget the actual product itself. It’s a LOT!
But among that longggg list of things that need your focus during a launch season, something that many business owners forget until it’s too late is the legal side of things.
And trust me, I get it – all of the other stuff sounds a whole lot more fun, but as your lawyer bestie, I’m here to say that allll of those marketing efforts won’t matter when you find yourself in a sticky situation that a legal contract could’ve prevented.
Without the legal right protections in place, your exciting new launch could turn into a headache full of refund disputes, scope creep, or even compliance issues, all of which are the exact opposite of what I want for you!
So as we make our way into peak launch season in the online business world, I thought it was time to put together an ultimate legal checklist that you can use for your next launch so you aren’t skipping the essentials!
This legal checklist isn’t about adding more work to your plate – it’s about setting up smart legal systems NOW so you can launch with confidence later.
The Ultimate Pre-Launch Legal Checklist for Online Business Owners
You know that feeling when you’re prepping your launch and you start to do one thing, like build a sales page for example, and in the midst of doing that you realize you need to do 10 other things? Like build the checkout page or set up your payment system plans.
It’s like your to-do list becomes never ending and honestly, that’s kind of how the legal side of things can be for your business too, especially when you’re launching.
For example, in the midst of setting up your Terms of Purchase, you might realize you need to write your disclaimer or your refund policy and it’s just SO. MUCH.
Trust me, I’ve been there! Which is why I wanted to make this legal launch checklist for you in the first place. As a lawyer and online business owner myself, I know every single legal agreement that’s necessary for launching a new or even existing offer and I don’t want you to feel like you’re left guessing at what you need.
So while I might not be able to help with the creative side of things (though I know lots of people who can!), I can help you take the guesswork out of the legal part of your launch.
Here’s exactly what you need (and how I can specifically help you take a shortcut to getting all of these things squared away, stress-free):
Terms of Purchase
If you’re selling anything online, like courses, digital products, memberships, or templates, you need clear Terms of Purchase.
This contract lives on your checkout page and tells buyers what they can (and can’t) expect from you and should cover things like:
- Payment terms (is it a one-time purchase or a payment plan?)
- Refund and cancellation policies
- Intellectual property rights (so customers don’t resell your work)
- Access details (like how long they’ll have access to your content)
Without this, you’re opening yourself up to chargebacks and disputes.
💡 Pro Tip: set this up as clickwrap, NOT a browsewrap.
Clickwrap is the more active option and is probably something that you’ve even had to do as a user or customer yourself. It’s when someone has to actively check a box that says “I agree to the terms…” and this action is typically taken at checkout or when something is added to cart.
This makes your Terms of Purchase more enforceable if any legal action is ever needed. When launching, this is where I want you to start!
Client Service Agreements
Depending on what you’re launching, you may need to implement specific client service agreements that are tailored to your specific industry.
Generally speaking, your client service agreements should include:
- Scope of Work – the part of your contract that clearly defines what’s included in the project and what’s not. You never want a client to assume that something is included when it’s not something that you include in your packages! Put it alllll in writing, no matter how overboard it might feel, so there’s no confusion.
- Payment Terms and Schedules – this is where we’re making sure you get PAID and you get paid on time! In this section, you’ll want to specify your pricing structure, deposit requirements, and payment deadlines, as well as your terms for late payments.
- Termination and Refund Clauses – this is where you clearly outline how and when a client can end your agreement, as well as your refund policies. They protect your time, income, and peace of mind by preventing misunderstandings, late cancellations, and disputes over payments.
- Intellectual Property Rights – when you’re doing any kind of creative work as a service provider, it’s important that you clarify who owns the final designs and under what conditions the client can use them.
Here’s some common industries where 1:1 client service agreements are needed:
→ Additional Creative Professionals
Copyright Statement
When you’re launching anything into the online space, it’s important that you recognize the fact that you’re putting your work out there publicly and unfortunately that means it does run the risk of being stolen.
As crazy and unethical as it may sound, it happens far more often than you might think ESPECIALLY in the digital product space.
The best way to protect yourself from copycats is to simply copyright your content and make sure it’s displayed everywhere, including your downloadable PDF’s, your Google Doc templates, on your workbooks, slide decks, training videos, etc.
Basically any kind of digital asset (free or paid!) needs to display a copyright notice that essentially says, “hey! I’m claiming the rights to this, so if you infringe my stuff, you’re doing it willfully.”
If you provide a copyright notice on your assets and someone does steal the content, that means they’re doing it willfully, which means YOU are entitled to greater damages (aka you can take real legal action and it could cost them big time).
WITHOUT including that copyright notice on your course materials, proving that the person stealing your work knew it was yours and not in the public domain or “fair use”, now becomes another element that you have to prove, meaning more work for you.
If you’re not sure how to implement a copyright notice on your digital products, CLICK HERE for a free guide.
Privacy Policy
If you’ll be collecting emails, payment information, or even just tracking analytics through your website during launch (which of COURSE you will be!), it’s a legal requirement to have a privacy policy displayed!
Meaning: it’s not optional.
A privacy policy is simply a detailed notice that is published on your website, typically found in the footer, that outlines how that specific website collects, uses and manages a user’s personal information.
When you are handling personal information, like names, emails, and maybe even phone numbers, privacy concerns are HUGE.
When users are visiting a website, they typically understand that their information is being tracked, since this is a common scenario in the online world, but they ultimately want to know HOW it’s being used.
A website privacy policy is the thing that assures users that you are not improperly using their information and that you are being up front and honest about how it’s being used.
Disclaimers
Lastly, depending on your industry, you’ll want to consider any necessary disclaimers!
Disclaimers are statements that aim to limit the liability of you as the product creator and are particularly important for digital products that provide information, advice, or recommendations.
A disclaimer informs users that the information provided is not guaranteed to be accurate, complete, or suitable for any particular purpose.
If you’re not sure if your industry has a specific disclaimer that you should be using, typically a General Disclaimer will do the job! Overall, disclaimers are essential in protecting you from legal claims.
By explicitly stating the limitations of the product and the responsibilities of the user, disclaimers can reduce the likelihood of your audience or customers taking legal action based on perceived damages or misinterpretations of the product’s content.
Launch Confidently with the Right Legal Protections
Overall, launching in your business requires a lot of work and you don’t want all of that hard work to go to waste simply because you left out one of the most important parts – the legal protection.
Your legal agreements are just as important as your sales pages and email sequences, so don’t let them fall to the wayside.
This launch legal checklist takes the guesswork out of knowing what you need, but if you want to take things a step further and get the actual contract templates you need so you barely even have to lift a finger, that’s what The Boutique Lawyer is really here for!
✔️ Terms of Purchase for Digital Goods and Services
✔️ Browse service agreement templates by industry
✔️ Browse disclaimer templates
✔️ FREE Copyright Notice Template
When you purchase any contract template from TBL, you’ll get an attorney walkthrough video from yours truly, Word and Google Doc versions (so you can easily edit in whichever platform you love best), a customization guide that you can follow step by step, AND future updates included if the legal landscape ever shifts!
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If you like what you just read and want more cool lawyer things in your life, here’s a few ways to stay connected:
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And if you’re in need of legal resources that you can ACTUALLY understand? Here’s a few ways I can help:
Step into TBL’s free library of legal resources for creative entrepreneurs where we throw open the doors and spill the tea on what works and what doesn't when it comes to legal protection, systems and sales.
Browse the contract template shop to find what’s missing in your biz and easily implement it with a plug and play template!
Need something else? Send me a DM! Always happy to lend a legal hand when I can.