Lay The Terms

Plain-English glossary

Indemnity

A clause requiring one party to cover legal claims, losses, or costs for another party.

Why it matters

Indemnity can be fair when tied to your misconduct, but risky when broad enough to shift large legal costs.

Words to watch for

indemnifydefendhold harmlessthird-party claims

In layman's terms

You agree to cover the company legal costs if someone sues them because of something you did. This could mean paying for their lawyers even if you did not do anything wrong.

Plain-English example

If your actions create a claim against the company, you may have to pay their costs.

Scan your own agreement