How to compare two contract versions: a worksheet for reviewing changes
Compare two contract versions with a worksheet to record changes, locate sources and prepare questions.
A changed date, amount or word in a new contract draft may affect what you thought you had read. Comparing two contract versions helps locate differences; assessing their effect requires context and, where appropriate, professional advice. This guide offers a practical worksheet without assuming that language determines the country or applicable law.
Identify both versions first
Record each file name, sender, date received and whether it is a draft, signed copy or attachment. Check completeness: pages, schedules, definitions and incorporated terms. Preserve originals unchanged and work with authorised copies. If a file is missing, do not describe the comparison as complete.
Choose a reference: for example, draft A received first against draft B received later. A later version is not necessarily the accepted or signed one. Ask which document is meant for review and record the answer rather than relying on the file name.
Find additions, deletions and movements
Read copies side by side or use a suitable comparison tool. Microsoft explains that Word can generate a third document showing differences between an original and a revised copy. Adobe documents a PDF comparison feature and options for scanned documents. Availability and behaviour depend on product version and settings.
An automatic mark is a lead, not a legal assessment. Read the surrounding text: a moved paragraph may now depend on another condition. Check headings, tables, attachments and cross-references too. Illegible scans or formatting changes can cause omissions or noise.
Copy this change worksheet
Use one row per difference: topic or clause | location in A | text in A | location in B | text in B | observed change | outstanding question or decision. Fictional example: ‘notice | A, section 4: 30 days | B, section 4: 45 days | number changed | confirm the starting point’. This demonstrates recordkeeping, not a legal deadline or an interpretation of a real contract.
Review parties and roles, duties, amounts, dates, duration, renewal, exit, responsibility and attachments as relevant to the document. Do not mark a change as accepted merely because it was detected. Record favourable changes and unclear ones alike.
Ask precise questions and verify answers
Instead of ‘is everything fine?’, ask ‘why did this number change?’, ‘does this definition also change another clause?’ and ‘which version is proposed for signature?’. If there are contradictions or an approaching date, show the complete documents to a professional in the relevant jurisdiction before deciding.
Legal Assistant AI supports questions about documents. With material you may share, ask: ‘Identify the duration section in this document, cite its location and mark anything unreadable’. Repeat for the other version and complete your worksheet manually. The tool can make mistakes; do not assume it detects every change or determines which version is valid.
Keep your worksheet, reviewed copies and replies. Confirm through an appropriate channel which document is final before signing or sending it; this process does not replace individual legal review.