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Template editing vs AI generation: what the difference means in practice

LawDepot's approach is questionnaire-driven: you answer a series of questions, and the platform populates a pre-written template. The result is a document where some fields are personalised and most clauses remain generic. You then need to review and edit the output manually to make it fit your specific engagement.

Contracto generates each clause from your inputs — not by filling blanks in a template, but by constructing language specific to your parties, rate, payment terms, jurisdiction, and engagement type. A freelance web developer and a freelance photographer get different IP clauses. A Scotland-based engagement gets Scottish law. A recruiter introduction gets fee crystallisation language that matches when and how their fee is earned.

The practical difference: a LawDepot document requires legal knowledge to edit correctly. A Contracto document is ready to send.

Why UK-native matters for enforcement

LawDepot was founded in Canada and expanded into the UK market. Its UK documents are adaptations of its North American templates rather than documents written from the ground up under English common law, Scottish law, or Northern Irish law.

This matters in practice for three reasons. First, the statutes referenced — or omitted — determine enforceability. A late payment clause that does not cite the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 by name leaves money on the table: the Act gives UK contractors a statutory right to 8% interest above the Bank of England base rate, plus fixed compensation of £40–£100, on every overdue B2B invoice. Second, jurisdiction matters within the UK: a contract governed by English and Welsh law does not automatically apply in Scotland. Third, UK employment status tests (IR35, HMRC's Check Employment Status for Tax tool) require specific clause language that a US-origin template will not contain.

Contracto is written under English and Welsh law, with distinct handling for Scottish law and Northern Ireland, and with explicit UK statutory references throughout.

IR35: the coverage gap that costs contractors the most

LawDepot has no IR35-specific contract type. For UK contractors working through a Personal Service Company, this is the most significant gap. An IR35 investigation by HMRC will examine the contract first — specifically looking for three things: a genuine right of substitution (not veto-able by the client on personal grounds), no mutuality of obligation (no requirement for the client to offer work or the PSC to accept it), and control over how, when, and where the services are delivered.

A generic services agreement or consulting agreement does not include this language. A standard LawDepot services template will not pass IR35 scrutiny. Getting the IR35 clauses right in 2026 requires three things: a substitution clause that limits client veto to competency grounds, an explicit no-MOO statement, and a Status Determination Statement acknowledgement clause for medium and large engagers under Chapter 10 ITEPA 2003.

Contracto's IR35 Services Agreement includes all three by default.

Subscription vs pay-per-contract: the real cost comparison

LawDepot requires a subscription — typically in the range of £35–£59 per year — to download completed documents. If you generate one contract per year, the subscription model costs more per document than Contracto's £9 per-contract option. If you never upgrade, your documents remain behind the paywall.

Contracto's pricing: generate free with a watermark (preview before you pay), pay £9 for a clean PDF, or subscribe to Every Deal (£29/month) for 30 contracts per month if your volume justifies it. No subscription is required to see what you are getting before committing.