15/10/2026
1. “I didn’t read it” usually won’t undo your signature.
Someone says: “It’s just the standard contract.”
You sign without reading it.
Later, you discover a clause you never knew was there.
A signed agreement can still bind you even if you didn’t read it first.
2. I stop at the words “FULL AND FINAL SETTLEMENT.”
Imagine someone owes you R80 000.
They offer you R50 000 to end the fight and you sign a document indicating you accept payment “ in full and final settlement.”
You are actually ending the dispute there — not that you’ll take R50 000 now and fight about the rest later.
3. I check HOW the contract says I must cancel it.
Sending:
“Hi, I’m cancelling 👍”
on WhatsApp may not be enough.
Your contract might tell you exactly where and how an official cancellation must be sent.
4. I search for the words “personal surety.”
You think you’re signing something for your company.
But if you also sign personally as surety, your own money or property could be at risk if the company cannot pay.
The legal implication can be huge.
5. I don’t assume a WhatsApp automatically changes a signed contract.
“But we agreed to change it on WhatsApp!”
Your original contract may say changes only count if they’re made in writing and signed in a certain way.
6. I KEEP the boring paperwork.
Proof of payment. Cancellation letters. Emails. The final signed contract. Settlement agreements.
Because three years later, someone might say:
“You never paid me.”
And suddenly that boring proof of payment becomes VERY interesting.
Paperwork feels boring when everyone agrees. Lawyers learn how interesting it becomes when people don’t.
Before signing something involving serious money, property or responsibility, let Jacky Venter Inc help you understand what you’re agreeing to.
