Contents
In a landmark moment in 2020, Kanye West (now known as Ye) shared ten of his Universal Music contracts page‐by‐page on his Twitter account. This event sparked a debate around the complexity of legal documents-a discussion that continues to resonate in 2025.
So, we took a closer look at them. And, much like Ye’s call for clarity, we believe that overly complicated contracts are not only hard to decipher, but they also hinder productive business relationships. For more on making legal documents accessible, check out our insights on what makes a contract legally binding.
The Case For Simplified Contracts
Contracts are extremely important tools for businesses as they solidify your commercial deals and afford essential legal protections.
Unfortunately, the norm in the business world has long been to rely on lengthy, wordy documents brimming with legalese. Often, these contracts are unnecessarily complex and poorly structured. Some argue that this complexity exists to validate the indispensability of legal professionals-only lawyers can truly decipher the substantive meaning of such documents, which in turn forces users to invest more time (and money) in legal consultations rather than progressing with their business relationships.
A key element of the NewLaw movement is shifting away from this lawyer‐centric model towards a more user‐centric approach. Here, legal practitioners provide real value by drafting documents that not only offer robust legal protection but are also easily understood by the people who rely on them. This straightforward approach might seem obvious, yet its impact in 2025 is more profound than ever.
GE Shrink Their Contracts
The benefits of simplified contracts were clearly demonstrated at GE Aviation when they merged three business units into the Digital Solutions unit. They attracted interested customers but struggled to finalise deals because clients had to navigate through 100-page contracts before initiating work.
It was then that Shawn Burton, Digital Solutions’ General Counsel, embarked on a mission to simplify these documents. By condensing seven separate contracts into one concise five-page agreement-and with similar trends adopted by many forward-thinking companies by 2025-negotiation times were reduced by approximately 60 per cent. For further reading on streamlining contractual terms, see our article on setting out good business terms & conditions.
Plain contracts are the future, empowering startups and entrepreneurs to take control of their commercial dealings. And it’s not just small businesses making this shift; even large enterprises and high-risk defence contractors are embracing simplicity to avoid unnecessary delays and disputes.
Unfair Contract Terms
Revisiting Ye’s concerns, he has also highlighted unfair contract terms. His critique centres on how massive recording and publishing companies exploit musicians by imposing dense, indecipherable contracts.
Complicated contracts can allow financially dominant parties to leverage their negotiating power, often at the expense of less-resourced counterparts. In 2025, this issue remains a significant concern in many industries.
The ACCC continues to enforce Australian Consumer Law-with specific measures to protect both consumers and small businesses from unfair contract terms. Their guidance suggests considering factors such as:
- The imbalance between the rights and obligations of the parties
- The necessity of the term in protecting legitimate business interests
- The potential detriment if the term were enforced
- The clarity and transparency of the term
This reinforces the idea that the more convoluted a contract is, the less transparent its terms become-exacerbating existing power imbalances. For more insights on ensuring contractual clarity, visit our article on what makes a contract legally binding.
Ultimately, when contracts are not properly understood by all parties, no one truly wins-except the lawyers who profit from inevitable disputes.
Designing Simplified Contracts
Ye may not have been the first to call for plain language contracts, and he certainly won’t be the last. At Sprintlaw, we stand by the belief that contracts should be drafted in clear, plain English. Let’s explore some of the ways the legal industry is evolving to better serve its users.
Legal Design Thinking
Design Thinking is increasingly recognised as a powerful tool to achieve more understandable contracts. This approach, which fosters innovation and enhances user experience, is now gaining traction across the legal industry-even if adoption was initially slow. Many firms are now integrating concepts from Legal Design Thinking to create user-centric solutions that balance legal protection with clarity.
By 2025, digital transformation and AI-driven insights are playing an ever more critical role in simplifying legal documents. User experience now extends beyond mere aesthetics-it’s about ensuring that every party fully understands their obligations before signing on the dotted line.
Comic Contracts
Robert de Rooy, a South Africa-based attorney, pioneered the concept of Comic Contracts-legally binding agreements that use illustrated narratives to convey contractual terms. This innovative model addresses the needs of diverse audiences, including those with low literacy or language barriers, and has found renewed interest in 2025 due to its transparency and simplicity.
By representing parties as characters and capturing terms in pictures, Comic Contracts help to diminish power imbalances and make complex legal obligations accessible. They serve as a prime example of how creative legal design can empower users across multicultural workplaces and varied demographics.
As we move further into 2025, the legal landscape is witnessing a surge in the adoption of technology and innovative approaches to contract design. Companies are increasingly utilising AI-powered contract review tools and interactive digital signatures, ensuring that agreements are not only legally robust but also easy to understand. For more on digital transformation in the legal space, browse our guide on Online Business Privacy.
Key Takeaways
Whether or not you agree with Ye’s approach, there is a clear shift away from convoluted, legalese-heavy contracts. Simplified contracts not only reduce negotiation times and prevent exploitation driven by power imbalances, but they also enhance transparency for all parties involved.
As business owners and consumers enter into agreements daily, it is crucial that contracts are both protective and understandable. At Sprintlaw, we take pride in drafting agreements that strike this balance perfectly. If you’re looking for clear, concise, and user-friendly legal documents, our Legal Advice for Startups service is here to help.
Meet some of our Contracts Lawyers
Get in touch now!
We'll get back to you within 1 business day.
Top 3 Legal Mistakes
Book in a free consultation with us to discuss your legal needs.