Methods and systems for authoring customized contracts using contract templates that include user-configured rules and questions

A computer-implemented method of authoring a contract may include steps of providing a database that includes a plurality of selectable contract clauses and a plurality of selectable contract templates, each of the plurality of contract templates including a plurality of rules, each of the plurality of rules being configured to incorporate at least one selected contract clause into the contract to be authored depending upon an evaluation of the rule. The user may then be required to select a contract template from among a plurality of contract templates and each of the plurality of rules in the selected contract template may then be evaluated, along with any global rules that may be present. User responses may then be received when one or more of the rules in the selected contract template includes question(s) requiring a response by the user. It is then determined whether one or more additional contract clauses should be included in the contract depending on the evaluation step and any received user responses. When the determining step determines that a contract clause should be added to the contract, the method may include steps of selecting and retrieving from the database, one or more contract clauses for inclusion in predetermined sections of the contract, and the contract may then be generated based upon the selected contract template