Contract question - initials

[mmedina]

When a contract is several pages long, what is the best way to acknowledge each page? The signatures are only on the last page. But what if someone tried to argue that they didn't agree to a top page? Am I being paranoid here or should initials be required on every page? Are there other things (eg. special paperclip) worth consideration?

Likewise, I sometimes have clients (I do web design work) that only fax me back the final page with the signature. Should I require them to fax the entire contract (2-3pages)?

I suppose that my main concern would be how a judge would view these issues, if I had to go to small claims court to argue for nonpayment.

 

[mcedronron]

Initial every page

In my experience, any legal document longer than a page, should have both parties' initial on every page. As you stated, that would prevent from someone coming back and saying that is not the document they signed. Nowdays its extremely easy, to, even without the original document, scan it and change some language around.

When sending the document to your customer, try using PDF format to make it harder for them to change it, or maybe send them the document already signed or initialed.

If you send them a word document, as I have seen many do, they could easily go in and change rates or add a single word that changes the meaning of your whole document.