Why signing legal documents without reading is dangerous

across Nigeria, signing legal documents has become part of daily routine for many young people and professionals navigating loans, rentals, employment offers, business deals, phone contracts and even online services.

From bustling markets in Lagos and Abuja to university campuses and motor parks, individuals often sign documents in haste to secure opportunities, driven by economic pressures, time constraints, peer influence or simple trust in the other party.

These documents, ranging from tenancy agreements and loan facilities to employment contracts and digital click-wrap agreements, are often presented as straightforward pathways to progress. Yet, the fine print frequently contains obligations, penalties, waivers and automatic renewals that can trap signatories in unfavourable or costly situations.

However, growing awareness of legal and financial pitfalls, coupled with rising contract disputes, is prompting calls for greater legal literacy and caution.

Many Nigerians are learning the hard way that a signature can create binding commitments with long-term consequences.

For most, the process is hurried and treated as a routine formality. Some sign because they trust the other party, feel pressured by urgency or assume the contents are “standard.”

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH on this, a legal practitioner at Lawtrust Consult, Abuja, Ruth Ojonugwa, identified impatience, illiteracy and misplaced trust as major factors responsible for the widespread practice of signing documents without proper review.

“One of the reasons is impatience. Some individuals are always in a hurry to sign a document, especially where money is involved, so they sign themselves into problems and later litigation.

“Some people are not literate in English language, which is often the language in which contracts are written. They assume that because it is in black and white, it represents the full truth, she said.

The lawyer stressed the importance of seeking professional guidance before signing legal documents.

“It is advisable to have a lawyer or someone you trust read the document to you so that you understand what you are signing,” Ojonugwa added.

According to her, trust also plays a dangerous role in many disputes.

“When a person is given a document by a spouse, relative or trusted associate, there is often the assumption that no harmful clause would be included. That overly trusting attitude can later create legal difficulties,” she warned.

Ojonugwa further highlighted emotional and situational pressure as another major cause.

“Sometimes people are stressed, excited or tired, and they just want to sign. Others assume that because they have signed similar documents before, all documents are the same. No two documents are the same,” she noted.

The lawyer also warned that signing documents without proper understanding can expose individuals to severe financial, legal and emotional consequences, ranging from debt liability and property disputes to litigation and contractual exploitation.

Studies conducted internationally suggest that most people rarely read legal terms before agreeing to them.

A 2017 Deloitte survey carried out by Usercentrics Magazine, cited by Fox Business, found that 91 per cent of consumers consent to legal terms and conditions without reading them, while younger adults were even more likely to skip reviewing agreements.

Another widely cited study published on the Social Science Research Network, titled ‘Study on Consumers’ Attitudes Towards Terms, Conditions (T&Cs) Final Report’, found that most consumers spend only a few seconds reviewing online agreements before accepting them, despite the fact that fully reading such documents would require significantly more time.

The researchers observed that many users routinely click “I Agree” on terms and conditions for digital services, apps, loans and subscriptions without carefully examining the legal obligations or implications.

According to them, this behaviour is largely driven by lengthy legal language, impatience, convenience and the assumption that agreements are harmless or non-negotiable.

Ojonugwa’s position aligns with legal analysis published by Resolution Law Firm, which explains that under Nigerian contract law, a person who voluntarily signs a contractual document is generally presumed by the courts to have read, understood and accepted the contents of that document, even where the individual later claims otherwise.

According to the publication, courts are often reluctant to excuse parties from contractual obligations simply because they failed to carefully read a document before signing it.

Contracts are regarded as legally enforceable agreements entered into willingly by both parties, and once a person appends a signature to a document, the law may interpret that action as acceptance of every clause contained in the agreement, including provisions written in technical or complex legal language.

The publication further noted that exceptions may arise only in limited circumstances, such as fraud, coercion, forgery, misrepresentation, undue influence, or situations where the signer was deliberately deceived about the nature of the document.

Similarly, legal analysis published on the portal of a content aggregator service in the legal industry, Mondaq Ltd, explains that Nigerian courts consistently operate on a strong presumption in favour of written agreements once they have been voluntarily signed by both parties.

According to the analysis, when disputes arise, courts primarily focus on the literal terms contained in the signed document rather than verbal explanations, intentions, or informal understandings that may have existed before or during the signing process.

Mondaq also noted that Nigerian courts recognise specific legal exceptions where a signed document may not be enforced strictly according to its written terms. These include fraud, misrepresentation, coercion, undue influence, and forgery.

According to data reflected in the Lagos State Judiciary Annual Report, land-related disputes consistently account for a significant portion of civil cases filed across courts in the state, alongside tenancy disagreements, contractual breaches, and property ownership conflicts.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Chief Executive Officer of Bolex Realty LTD, Oseni Boluwatife, identified common mistakes Nigerians make before signing tenancy and land documents.

“There are three things. One is paying before verifying who you are dealing with. I have seen tenants send rent to agents who vanished. Two: trusting verbal promises, especially on repairs or handover dates. Three, buying land without conducting a proper title check. You may think it is yours until someone shows up with an older deed and a court summons,” he said.

Boluwatife also warned that some clauses in tenancy agreements and land documents can cause serious problems if ignored.