6. Don’t let your client sign a letter of intent without this wording. Sometimes clients are anxious to sign something to show good faith before the contract is prepared. A properly worded letter of intent is useful at such times. Just be sure that the letter of intent clearly states that it is not a contract, but that it is merely an outline of possible terms for discussion purposes.

　　如果没有特别申明，不要让你的客户在意向书上签字。有时候，在合同未准备好之前，客户为了表示诚意，往往急于签署某些东西，当然，在这种情况下，如果客户急于签署的是有特别申明的意向书，这也是可以的，但一定要注明：本意向书并非合同，只是双方为了更好地沟通协商，而拟定的对未来条款的概述。

　　7. Start with a simple, generic contract form. The form in Appendix A is such a form. It provides a solid starting point for the structure of the contract. Like a house, a contract must have a good, solid foundation.

　　从简单、典型的合同入手。附录A就是一个简单、典型的合同，它提供了一个合同的基本支架。像房子一样，一个合同必须有一个牢固的根基。

　　8. State the correct legal names of the parties in the first paragraph. As obvious as this is, it is one of the most common problems in contracts. For individuals, include full first and last name, and middle initials if available, and other identifying information, if appropriate, such as Jr., M.D., etc. For corporations, check with the Secretary of State where incorporated.

　　在合同的第一段要写清楚双方的名称。，这是个简单而又不得不引起重视的问题。如果是个人，要写清姓和名,中间有大写字母和其他身份信息的，也要注明，例如：jr.,M.D,等等;如果是公司，为避免弄错，写名称时可以到公司注册地的相应机构去核对一下。

　　9. Identify the parties by nicknames. Giving each party a nickname in the first paragraph will make the contract easier to read. For example, James W. Martin would be nicknamed "Martin."

　　确定合同双方的别称(简称)。为便于阅读，一般要在合同的第一段为双方弄一个别称，如：将詹姆士.马丁简写为"马丁"。

　　10. Be careful when using legal terms for nicknames. Do not use "Contractor" as a nickname unless that party is legally a contractor. Do not use "Agent" unless you intend for that party to be an agent, and if you do, then you better specify the scope of authority and other agency issues to avoid future disagreements.

　　使用法定术语作为双方当事人的别称时，要小心。除非一方当事人在法定上就是承包人，否则不要将"承包人"作为其别称。同样，除非你想让一方当事人成为法定上的代理人，否则不要称其为"代理人"，如果坚持要用，最好明确一下代理范围并找到其他可以避免将来争执的方案。