draw up a contract

Meaning

To prepare, draft, and write a formal legal document, such as an agreement, contract, or proposal. It implies drafting the document carefully, often involving legal experts, so that all terms are clearly stated.

Examples

• Our legal team is currently drawing up a contract for the new partnership.

  Our legal team is currently drawing up a contract for the new partnership.

• Before we sign anything, we need to draw up a contract that outlines the payment terms.

  Before we sign anything, we need to draw up a contract that outlines the payment terms.

• They asked their lawyers to draw up a contract to protect their intellectual property.

  They asked their lawyers to draw up a contract to protect their intellectual property.

• Once the verbal agreement is reached, we will draw up a contract immediately.

  Once the verbal agreement is reached, we will draw up a contract immediately.

• The HR department drew up a contract for the new senior executive.

  The HR department drew up a contract for the new senior executive.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We need to write up a contract before the project starts.

  ✓ We need to draw up a contract before the project starts.

  While write up is used for reports, draw up is the standard, professional collocation for formal legal documents.

• ✗ The lawyer made up a contract for us.

  ✓ The lawyer drew up a contract for us.

  Make up means to invent or fabricate something, whereas draw up means to draft formally.

Related Expressions

Practice

• We should ask the legal department to ___ as soon as possible.

  💡 prepare a formal legal agreement

  Show answer

  draw up a contract

• It took them three weeks to ___ that satisfied both parties.

  💡 write and prepare a legal agreement

  Show answer

  draw up a contract