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This template provides general legal language. For complex or high-value agreements, consult a qualified attorney.
Most freelance disputes are not about money in the abstract. They are about scope that grew, a deadline that moved, an invoice that went unpaid, or ownership of work that neither side discussed. A short written agreement settles all four before they become arguments.
It also protects the freelancer's status. A contract that reads like an employment agreement, with fixed hours and close supervision, is evidence of disguised employment, which creates tax and social-contribution exposure for the client.
What is being produced, in what form, and what is explicitly out of scope. The out-of-scope line prevents more disputes than the in-scope one.
Amount, whether it is fixed or hourly, when invoices are issued and how many days there are to pay. In the EU, statutory late-payment interest applies to business-to-business transactions whether the contract mentions it or not, but saying so tends to get invoices paid.
How many rounds are included and what happens after. Unlimited revisions with a fixed fee is the single most common way a freelance project becomes unprofitable.
Who owns the work, and whether ownership passes on delivery or on full payment. Payment-conditional transfer is standard and is the freelancer's main leverage. Note that in several European countries moral rights cannot be assigned at all.
A clear statement that the freelancer is self-employed, works with their own tools and methods, and may work for others. This does not by itself decide the question, but its absence is unhelpful if anyone asks.
How either side ends the engagement, how much notice is required, and what is owed for work already done.
The smaller the job, the shorter the contract, but the value of having one does not fall with the invoice. Scope, price, deadline, ownership and payment terms fit on one page and cover almost every dispute that actually arises.
It varies by country, and the default frequently favours the freelancer, not the client who paid. Never rely on the default: say who owns what, and when ownership passes.
In the EU, business-to-business late payment carries statutory interest and a fixed recovery fee by law. Elsewhere it depends on the contract, which is a good reason to include the clause.
Yes, in every jurisdiction that has adopted electronic signature legislation, which includes the EU, UK, US and Australia. What matters in a dispute is evidence of who signed and when.
This is not legal advice. It describes what these documents normally contain and how the rules commonly differ between countries. Rules change and your situation may not be ordinary. For anything with real money or real risk attached, have a qualified lawyer in the relevant country read it before you sign.