With all the stuff you need to do to run a blog, sometimes it’s easy to miss certain things on your checklist. One major to-do you don’t want to skip is adding your legal pages to your site.
No matter if your audience is big or itty bitty (for now!), it’s really important to protect your blog and business. And if you’re new to blogging, you may not even be aware that your site should have proper legal pages…until now!
Set your blog up for success with legal templates that can be customized for your niche. These templates are reasonably priced and detailed, too, so you can feel peace of mind knowing you’re protecting your hard work.
Keep reading to see the ones I use and highly recommend!
Disclaimer
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you make a purchase through my affiliate link at no extra cost to you. My recommendations are always items I buy or totally want to buy!
Note: I am not an attorney, so please seek any legal advice from a lawyer or law professional. These are just my recommendations for where to purchase legal pages for your website or blog.
4 Basic Legal Pages Every Blog Needs
To comply with the law, it’s important to know which legal pages you need for your blog. The four essential and foundational documents are a Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, Terms & Conditions, and Accessibility Statement. These legal documents serve both you and your readers!
Posting the proper legal documents to your website is very important.
First of all, I’m not an attorney, legal professional, accountant, financial guru, or any type of business advisor, so these are just my opinions purely based on my own positive experiences. (I minored in Business, but that also goes under “not a business advisor.”)
I am, in fact, a human rule follower whom the only time I like the word “sue” is when I have a friend whose name is actually Sue.
In order to run a successful business and/or blog, a solid foundation is essential. There are a few options, including hiring your own lawyer, to obtain all of the documentation required by law. But private lawyers can charge thousands to draw up paperwork.
You could also:
- Find free templates, but that could cost you dearly in the long run, since they may not have the correct wording to properly protect you and your business. AND doing that makes me personally nervous because you may be infringing on someone else’s intellectual property without knowing it. Let’s try not to infringe!
- Write your own, but that could also be another pitfall if you’re not an attorney yourself.
- Forget everything I said, but maybe invite in a lawsuit. (Remember: We want to leave Lawsuit OFF of the guest list.)
Or you could just do it the easy way.
Based on A+ reviews from other bloggers, I chose to purchase customizable legal documents from attorney, blogger, and businesswoman (aka, boss lady!) Amira Irfan. This was a decision I put a lot of thought into, knowing I wanted to establish a properly-run website and protect myself from any harmful financial issues in the future. (I already have enough issues.)
I also pride myself in being honest, sincere, and inclusive––and I want my web presence to reflect those aspects of my character.
I bought one of her legal bundles, which include these three primary documents that are required to be compliant with the laws:
Please consider proper accessibility for your site. Like, most definitely consider it.
I also purchased an Accessibility Statement to follow the standards of the Americans With Disabilities Act. It’s important to make your website accessible and inclusive. For instance, there are tests you can run and steps to take to ensure your site will be user-friendly, clearly stated, and easy to read.
How do I post these legal documents to my site?
Amira included step-by-step instructions on how to tailor the Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Terms and Conditions to my needs, plus the best way (and where!) to post them on my site.
I can do unlimited downloads of my documents through my login on Amira’s affiliate page, which means if I start a new site, I can utilize my legal documents there, too.
There’s also a delightful blogging community.
You also have access to a private Facebook group to get additional questions answered and find out about any other services or products you might need down the road. Plus, you meet new blogging friends!
And Amira’s team writes you back promptly when you email them question after question like I do. They’re on-the-ball.
What’s the cost, Kat?
It costs a small chunk of change, but it’s a quite reasonable small chunk of change versus hiring a private lawyer. I paid approximately 600 buckaroos for a sizeable legal bundle. Ask your accountant (because I am also NOT an accountant), but you may be able to count this business cost as a tax deduction.
And don’t I ever know it that blogging costs can add up when you start out…especially when you’re making, like, ZILCH. But this is definitely an investment in you and your future. That’s how I look at it! (Plus, it’s kind of the law, if you like to, you know, follow the law.)
Also, if you’re so inclined, Amira offers an affiliate program that gives you the possibility of recouping your investment. I said, “Hey! Let me try that!”
Pro tip: Your affiliate link is an important link to remember, along with your password, so be sure to save this info where you can easily access it! (Don’t forget every password on Earth like I do!)
But, ultimately, I feel so much more peace of mind.
And I really like peace of mind.
Legal Doc Summary In Case You Were Bored Earlier
Did you see the part where you need to protect your blog with certain legal documents? I, myself, was a major rookie at first, unaware of these vital docs, but glad I did my research and listened to my blogging mentors! They shared the proper channels they went through to set up their sites. So, now I’m sharing with you!
Legal Documents I Purchased
I purchased my required legal documents from attorney and blogger, Amira Irfan, at A Self Guru. For more info on keeping your website up-to-date, please check out her legal bundles.
I bought a comprehensive legal bundle which contained the three core templates: Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Terms & Conditions. I also purchased an Accessibility Statement.
3 Legal Pages You Need for Your Blog
Privacy Policy
Amira’s instructions on how to customize your templates are easy to follow, plus she provides some awesome tips on blogging, including a private Facebook group that answers questions within the community. I’ve even met some wonderful new blogging friends through the group! We support each others’ journeys and that’s priceless, in my opinion.
Her team is also quick in responding to all my questions. I love this in a team! You can access Amira’s full legal store here.
Disclaimer
While it’s not flat-out cheap to purchase legal pages for your blog, it’s much more economical than hiring a private attorney. Run your own numbers and see what your budget allows, but I found Amira’s prices to be very reasonable in comparison to other lawyer fees.
Terms & Conditions
Thank you for reading! Good luck with your new website!
Website Resources I Also Highly Recommend
Web Hosting
Big Scoots is the best! They have the kindest, most efficient team of website geniuses I’ve ever worked with. They respond in minutes to your request and always give personalized attention to any issues you may be experiencing. (Well, maybe not ANY issue. Your annoying ex is where they draw the line.)
Website Theme
I love 17th Avenue Designs! They have so many beautiful, sophisticated themes that I had a hard time deciding which to choose. Each theme also has an adorable name, which made it harder!
I ended up going with Clover! The Clover theme has options for different blog landing pages, which gives me freedom when I change my mind. And when I see lots of pretty things I like, I tend to change my mind!
17th Avenue Designs provides extensive instructions for setting up your pages. But, if you feel stuck, you can always email them to get directions or guidance.
AND, if you go with Big Scoots for your WordPress hosting, they are super duper helpful in setting up your theme and helping you solve all kinds of issues. And I have ALL KINDS of issues.