# Contract Question Ledger

For the method in
[Reading a Lease or Contract for Questions, Not Legal Conclusions](/articles/contract-literacy-questions-not-legal-advice).
Keep the exact clause wording next to every paraphrase. This ledger asks questions — it does not answer legal ones.

## Not for

Determining enforceability, legal rights, or a dispute strategy. Anything unresolved below
needs a qualified lawyer or a tenants'/consumers' rights service, not this ledger.

## Clause ledger

| Clause # / heading | Exact quote | Plain-language paraphrase | Ambiguous or cross-referenced? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | ☐ Clear ☐ Ambiguous |
| | | | ☐ Clear ☐ Ambiguous |
| | | | ☐ Clear ☐ Ambiguous |
| | | | ☐ Clear ☐ Ambiguous |
| | | | ☐ Clear ☐ Ambiguous |
| | | | ☐ Clear ☐ Ambiguous |

## Dates, fees, and notice periods

| Item | Amount / deadline | Clause it comes from |
| --- | --- | --- |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |

## Questions for a professional or the counterparty

Phrase each as a specific, answerable question — do not attempt to answer these yourself.

| Question | Who to ask (lawyer / rights service / counterparty) | Answered? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| | | ☐ Yes ☐ No |
| | | ☐ Yes ☐ No |
| | | ☐ Yes ☐ No |

## The three prompts to reuse

**1. Build the clause ledger**

```text
Here is the text of a [lease / service contract], copied directly
from the document: [paste text]. For each clause that involves an
obligation, a date, a fee, a notice period, or a right to change
terms, produce a row with: the exact quoted clause text, a
plain-language paraphrase, and a note on anything that seems
ambiguous or that references another section not included here. Do
not state whether a clause is enforceable, fair, or legal — only
paraphrase and flag ambiguity.
```

**2. Extract dates and fees**

```text
From this clause ledger [paste], build a table of every specific
date, deadline, fee amount, and notice period mentioned in the
contract, with the clause number or heading each one comes from. Do
not add interpretation — just extract what is explicitly stated.
```

**3. Draft professional questions**

```text
From this clause ledger [paste], list every clause marked ambiguous
or cross-referencing missing text, plus any clause whose real-world
consequence is unclear to me. Phrase each as a specific question for
a lawyer, a tenants'/consumers' rights service, or the other party.
Do not attempt to answer these questions yourself.
```

## Before you sign

- [ ] Re-read every money, date, or change-of-terms clause against the original text
- [ ] All ambiguous or cross-referenced clauses resolved with a professional or the counterparty
- [ ] Confirmed this is the actual document being signed, not a template found elsewhere