Ask HN: Terms and Privacy Policy Generator?

1 points by borat4prez 11 years ago | 1 comment

I'm looking to launch a new community based site soon and was wondering about writing my Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.. should I ask a lawyer to write it? Write it myself then show a lawyer? Or am I good on my own?

Are sites like TermsFeed.com worth it for the money?

Thanks, just want to be safe about it.

suitless 11 years ago |

As a lawyer, I think you should start by looking at competitors or parallel sites' policies. Depending on what your site does, you'll be able to pick and choose and come up with a better idea about the policies that you want and what they'll do for you.

From there, take a stab at an outline. Then slap together some prose based on what you saw elsewhere. Then, use a generator.

At that point, you'll you'll have some templates that you can run by a (few) lawyer(s) who can quote a price to sign off on something that you can use. You'll be a better client, which could save you money, build knowledge, create a better product, and perhaps start a trusting relationship with an advisor who can help you out on all the other stuff you need as you grow.

The legal stuff that your site (and your business) encounters should not be a mystery. Contrary to what most people tell you, law can be pretty accessible. The problem is that if you try to become an expert on one issue, you'll waste a lot of time and energy getting it right. And then you can't really replicate that knowledge in most situations in a way that will be worth your time spent learning it.

Okay that last paragraph was a ramble.