How to write/obtain legal documents for website

[djr33]

Without actually hiring a lawyer to personally write documents, what are some good options for creating the annoying legal things we all need, such as TOS, copyright, and privacy policy?

I know there are some specific options for specific circumstance like creative commons for certain copyright issues, but I am wondering more about website-specific issues.

Thanks.

[traq]

I don't recall where, but I once searched for legal web document templates on google. There are quite a few "open-source" examples. There may not be anything appropriate for your site "as-is," but after cross-referencing, cutting, and pasting, I got something decent. The most important part I've noticed is the liability disclaimer: "it's your responsibility, not mine" can not be repeated enough, especially if you've got a social-type site.

Indemnification
This site is provided "as is," and the Owner makes no warranties of any kind. Users agree to indemnify the Owner against all damages, claims and expenses, direct or indirect, that may arise from use of the site.

Of course, if it's important, you'd want to run it by a lawyer anyway. Whatever you come up with on your own may not work as intended if it goes to court, or, worse yet, may cause unexpected problems.

good luck!