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How to generate a Deed of Novation

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What is a Deed of Novation?

A Deed of Novation is a document for one party to transfer all its rights and obligations in an existing contract or agreement to a new third party. The terms of the agreement remain the same, but one of the former party exits from the agreement and the new third party replaces its position by accepting all the rights and obligations of the outgoing party.

When Should I Use a Deed of Novation?

A deed of novation is an agreement that is used to transfer one party’s rights and obligations under a contract or agreement to a new third party.

The terms of the agreement remain the same. But one of the former party exits from the agreement and the new third party replaces its position by accepting all the rights and obligations of the outgoing party.

For a Deed of Novation to be effective, all parties to the original agreement plus the new party stepping into the contract needs to sign on the document.

For example:

A and B have an agreement where A supplies goods to B. 

A has sold its business to X, and now X will supply the goods to B instead of A. 

Now, A, B and X can all sign a Deed of Novation to keep the original supply agreement with A and B valid but with a change that X will replace A in that agreement, taking over all the rights and obligations of A under that agreement.

In the above example, A is the outgoing party, B is the continuing party and X is the incoming party.

When should you use a Deed of Novation?

A deed of novation is an agreement that is used to transfer one party’s rights and obligations under a contract or agreement to a new third party.

The terms of the agreement remain the same. But one of the former party exits from the agreement and the new third party replaces its position by accepting all the rights and obligations of the outgoing party.

For a Deed of Novation to be effective, all parties to the original agreement plus the new party stepping into the contract needs to sign on the document.

For example:

A and B have an agreement where A supplies goods to B. 

A has sold its business to X, and now X will supply the goods to B instead of A. 

Now, A, B and X can all sign a Deed of Novation to keep the original supply agreement with A and B valid but with a change that X will replace A in that agreement, taking over all the rights and obligations of A under that agreement.

In the above example, A is the outgoing party, B is the continuing party and X is the incoming party.

How is novation different from the assignment?

Novation and assignment both are ways for someone to transfer their interest in a contract to a third person.

An assignment is used to allow a third person to deliver the rights and obligations under a contract, but it does not relieve the party from its obligations. It is more of a delegation of the rights and obligations to a third party, but you’ll still be liable for the obligations as you will remain a party to the original contract.

Whereas novation releases you completely from the rights and obligations under the original contract as are no longer a party to the original contract. 

What to include in a Deed of Novation?

-Details of the original contract;

-Background or reason for the novation;

-Effective date of novation;

-Impact of novation on claims; and

Indemnity (if any).

Novation: FAQs

1.) Difference between a Novation and an Assignment?
In the case of a novation, the original contract is canceled and the third party is given all rights and obligations by one of the parties who has signed the two-party agreement. In the case of an assignment, the original contract is still in place but one party has to give up the rights mentioned in the contract but still remain responsible to fulfil the terms of the contract.

2.) What gets transferred in a Novation?
In a novation, all rights, as well as the obligations of the transferring party, are transferred to a third party.

3.)What Are the risks involved in a Novation?
Novations are relatively uncomplicated and mostly done to fulfill a formality. However, it requires three parties to be in agreement and so a risk of uncertainty looms over the actions of other parties over the two. 

Create a Deed of Novation Template

Zegal’s template library represents a complete and curated list of essential and premium business templates that can be used directly, for everyday business needs.  Importantly, whether you’re a startup or a larger enterprise, you will find that our Zegal automation solution allows anyone to create a legal agreement, any time, anywhere. 

All without a need for an expensive lawyer.  Why do we do this?  Well, we think that running your business day-to-day is important, and having these templates at your fingertips allows you to not miss a beat! 

Lawyers draft and curate all of our legal templates for ease of understanding using plain English.  Just fill out our guided questionnaires, and we will create the contract for you.  Using our patent-pending expert rules engine, we automate the creation of complex legal contracts.

About Author

Daniel Walker

Daniel Walker

Daniel Walker is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zegal, the trusted legaltech firm. Prior to founding Zegal, Daniel practised at DLA Piper, Stephenson Harwood and Clyde & Co, in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK.

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