What does Boilerplate contract language mean?

By Jedidiah McKeehan

During your life you may have been reading a contract and had someone tell you, “Oh, you can skip over that part, that is just boilerplate language.”

What does that mean exactly? If you look up where that language originated, it comes from where printing plates would have prepared text on the plates such as advertisements and syndicated columns they would distribute to newspapers. That way the newspapers would not have to set the type individually for these items.

That terminology has stuck around long enough to be included in the legal field and typically means parts of a contract that are considered standard. That means you see these provisions repeatedly in contracts no matter the nature of what else is included in the contract.

Here are examples of some boilerplate contract terms:

This contract is the entire agreement between the parties and no oral representation of either party can or should be relied on.

If any provision of this contract is considered invalid, the rest of the contract shall continue in full force and effect.

This contract and its terms shall be binding on any heirs or successors to the contract.

If either party must sue to enforce this contract, then the party who prevails in either enforcing the contract or defending against improper enforcement shall be awarded their attorney’s fees related to the same.

The jurisdiction to enforce this contract is in Knox County, Tennessee.

Jedidiah McKeehan is an attorney practicing in Knox County and surrounding counties.  He works in many areas, including family law, criminal, and personal injury. Visit attorney-knoxville.com for more information about this legal issue and other legal issues.