ACASFA 2012

maintains the same balance of rights and responsibilities between architect and client as the previous editions, SFA/99 and ID/05.

all terms are fully insured by standard professional indemnity insurance policies.

contains a ‘no set-off’ clause as in SFA/92, SFA/99 and ID/05. (This term is vital for enforcing payment against unreasonable clients.)

provides for an 8% over base rate charge for unpaid accounts, as set out in legislation (the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Order 2002), just as in SFA/99.

allows an architect to resign a commission. (This has always been a valuable clause for architects, particularly when an awkward client may make it impractical for the architect to continue, possibly because of a moral issue when it may not be easy to identify a specific breach of contract.)

includes no provision for a client to require the removal of a member of the architect’s staff (which could include a partner or a director) from a project.

includes an optional, tear-out form of Collateral Warranty and removeable notes with model letters

special terms are provided for, as is the opportunity for attachments to provide for additional documents (e.g.brief, survey, etc) to form part of the contract.

incorporates the RIBA Plan of Work 2007.

is not gender specific.

the ACA Form has been amended to cover the new Construction Act and Bribery Act requirements.