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The freelance contract every independent professional needs

Scope, payment terms, IP rights, kill fee, termination, dispute resolution — all in one printable document. Fill in the blanks. Send it.

Scope & Deliverables
Payment + Late Fees
IP Ownership
Kill Fee Clause
Termination Rights
Dispute Resolution

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Every clause that protects you

Eight sections covering every scenario that causes freelancers to lose money or rights. Annotated with what to watch for.

⚖️

Parties & Effective Date

Identifies the legal entities. Uses the client's full legal name — not a trading name — so you can enforce it.

📋

Scope of Work & Deliverables

References a separate Exhibit A for specifics. Includes a Change Order clause so scope creep requires written approval.

💳

Payment Terms + Late Fee

Net 14 default with a 1.5%/month late fee clause. Includes a suspension right if payment is more than 14 days overdue.

🔪

Kill Fee / Cancellation

20% kill fee on remaining project value if the client cancels after work begins. Protects your time, not just the deliverables.

💡

IP & Ownership Rights

IP transfers to client only upon full payment. Carve-out for pre-existing tools, libraries, and frameworks you use across projects.

🔒

Confidentiality

Standard NDA clause protecting client information. 2-year default term with carve-outs for public information.

🚪

Termination

Either party can terminate with 7 days written notice. You're owed payment for work completed through termination date.

🤝

Dispute Resolution

Requires good-faith negotiation before legal action. Specifies governing law so there's no ambiguity about jurisdiction.

Built around what actually goes wrong

What freelancers say

"I'd been using a two-page 'agreement' I copied from a forum in 2019. Found the kill fee clause the hard way — client canceled a $12k project after two weeks of work. Now I use a real contract."
— Maya R., brand designer
"The IP payment-linkage clause alone is worth it. Had a client try to use work from a project they only half-paid for. My contract was unambiguous about when IP transfers. Case closed."
— James T., developer
"Clients actually respect you more when you send a proper contract. It signals you're a professional, not someone who'll disappear if there's a dispute."
— Sarah K., copywriter

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