A Brief Introduction to ToS and AUP Documents - Getting Help

I've mentioned checking other companies' ToS and AUP documents for ideas. I've also mentioned going to a lawyer to get the documents drawn up, or at least look over them once you've put them together, to give you input for improvements and modifications. You might also read web hosting forums for horror stories. They could give you an idea of the sorts of things that need to be spelled out, and what can happen when things go wrong.

You can also go to a company such as Hostlegal (http://www.hostlegal.com/), ispforms (http://www.ispforms.com/), or WeblawResources (http://www.weblawresource.com/). They offer various legal document templates and packages that are specifically geared for ISPs and the web hosting industry. You will definitely want to use templates that are designed for your own industry. It's a good idea to shop around a little, since the prices vary somewhat.

It's probably still a good idea, even after you've completed forms created from templates, to have a lawyer you trust look them over to make sure they're sound. Have the lawyer explain to you how well these forms protect you. Make sure you know and understand what's covered and what isn't. 

When it comes to running a business, the legal documents, such as the ToS and the AUP, are probably the last things you want to think about. With the number of other details involved in starting and running a successful web hosting company, it's understandable how creating these items could get shuffled to the bottom of the priority queue. But the truth is, if you don't have your Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy in place quickly, you could get into a bad legal situation where everything else you've done is for naught. These two documents help keep you safely in business.