DECEMBER IS YOUR CONTRACTS CHECK-UP MONTH
If you're a creator, founder, influencer, or entrepreneur, December isn't just about wrapping up the year. It's about reviewing the legal infrastructure that will either support your next move... or hold you back from making it.
Before the calendar flips, there are three contract-related questions worth asking yourself. Not in a panicked, last-minute scramble, but with the kind of quiet attention you'd give to reviewing dailies before final cut. This is the moment to look at what you signed, what's about to expire, and what no longer serves the work you're building.
CONTRACTS THAT ARE ABOUT TO EXPIRE
Some agreements come with expiration dates. Partnership terms, licensing deals, representation contracts, vendor agreements. These aren't the kind of deadlines that announce themselves loudly. They arrive quietly, often buried in the fine print of something you signed months or years ago when the circumstances were entirely different.
The question isn't just whether the contract is ending. It's whether you want it to renew automatically, or whether this is the moment to renegotiate, walk away, or let it sunset gracefully.
Automatic renewals can be useful when the relationship is working. But when they're not, that auto-renew clause becomes a trap. If you're unclear about what renews and when, now is the time to find out. Pull the contracts. Check the dates. Mark your calendar for 30, 60, or 90 days before expiration, depending on what notice period the agreement requires.
This isn't about being difficult. It's about being deliberate.
TERMS THAT NO LONGER REFLECT YOUR GROWTH
You've grown. Your business has evolved. The project that felt experimental last January is now the main revenue stream. The side venture became the primary focus. The collaboration that started as a favor turned into something bigger.
But the contracts you signed back then? They probably haven't kept pace.
Maybe you agreed to a commission split that made sense when you were just starting out but feels unbalanced now. Maybe you signed away more creative control than you realized because you didn't yet understand how much leverage you'd eventually have. Maybe the scope of work expanded far beyond what the original agreement covered, and nobody ever formalized the new terms.
Growth reveals gaps. And December is when you get honest about where those gaps are.
Look at the agreements that govern your most important relationships: clients, collaborators, vendors, distributors, publishers, investors. Ask yourself if the terms still reflect the reality of the work. If they don't, it's worth opening a conversation about what an updated version might look like.
Not every contract needs to be renegotiated. But the ones that no longer fit? Those are the ones that create friction, resentment, or worse, legal exposure down the line.
RED FLAGS YOU IGNORED THE FIRST TIME
There's always that clause that made you pause when you first read it. The one that seemed vague, overly broad, or slightly unfair, but you signed anyway because you needed the deal to move forward. You told yourself you'd revisit it later.
Later is now.
Red flags don't disappear just because you stopped looking at them. Ambiguous language around ownership, unclear payment terms, non-compete clauses that are broader than necessary, indemnification provisions that put all the risk on you... these are the details that matter when something goes wrong.
December is the time to go back to those agreements with fresh eyes. Not in crisis mode, but proactively. Ask yourself: if this relationship ended tomorrow, would I be protected? If a dispute arose, would this contract actually hold up? If I needed to enforce my rights, is the language clear enough to do so?
If the answer is no, or even maybe, that's a contract worth reviewing with counsel before the new year begins.
YOUR YEAR-END CONTRACT CHECKLIST
Not sure where to start? Here's what to review before January:
Expiring Agreements
Partnership contracts with end dates in Q1 or Q2 2026
Licensing deals that auto-renew without notice
Vendor agreements that require 30, 60, or 90-day termination notice
Representation contracts with annual renewal terms
Lease agreements for studio space, office, or equipment
Terms That Need Updating
Commission splits or payment structures that no longer reflect your current position
Scope of work clauses that have expanded informally without documentation
Creative control provisions that limit your current level of autonomy
Intellectual property ownership terms that were agreed to before you understood their impact
Non-compete or exclusivity clauses that now feel too restrictive
Red Flags Worth Addressing
Vague language around deliverables, timelines, or payment schedules
Indemnification clauses that place disproportionate risk on you
Termination provisions that favor the other party
Dispute resolution terms that require arbitration in unfavorable jurisdictions
Automatic renewal clauses buried in the fine print
Missing provisions: confidentiality, rights reversion, credit attribution
Documentation to Gather
All active contracts signed in the past 12 months
Email threads that modified original terms but were never formalized
Invoices or payment records that show work beyond the original scope
Any unsigned agreements or term sheets still in negotiation
READY FOR YOUR YEAR-END CONTRACT REVIEW?
This isn't about creating busywork before the holidays. It's about making sure the legal foundation you're building on is solid before you make your next bold move.
Not sure where to start? Let's talk. We'll walk through your current agreements, flag what needs attention, and help you enter the new year with clarity and control.