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An independent contractor agreement that protects both the freelancer and the client: a clear scope, payment terms, ownership of the work and a fair way out. Fill in the fields, then sign it and send it to your client.

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Freelance Services Agreement

1. Parties and Services

This services agreement is made between ______________ (the Client) and ______________ (the Contractor), each a Party. The Contractor will provide the following services and deliverables: ______________ (the Services), on the following schedule: ______________. Any change to the Services, the schedule or the price must be agreed in writing by both Parties (e-mail is enough) before the corresponding work is done.

2. Fees and payment

The Client will pay ______________. The price includes ______________; further revisions and any work outside the Services are quoted and agreed in advance. Invoices are payable ______________. Late payments bear the interest and recovery costs provided by applicable law, and if an invoice remains unpaid 15 days after a written reminder, the Contractor may suspend the Services until it is paid, with the schedule extended accordingly. Expenses are reimbursed only if the Client approved them in writing beforehand.

3. Independent contractor and cooperation

The Contractor is an independent business, not an employee, partner or agent of the Client. The Contractor decides how, when and where to perform the Services, uses its own equipment, may work for other clients, and is responsible for its own taxes, social contributions, insurance and registrations. The Client will provide on time the information, materials, access and feedback the Contractor reasonably needs; delays in that input extend the schedule accordingly. The Contractor may subcontract only with the Client's prior written consent and remains responsible for subcontracted work.

4. Intellectual property

Once the Client has paid in full for a deliverable, the Contractor assigns to the Client the economic rights in that final deliverable, for the uses described in the Services or, if none are described, for the Client's business use, worldwide, for the full legal duration of the rights, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Until full payment, the Client may use deliverables only to review them. The Contractor keeps its pre-existing materials, tools and know-how, and grants the Client a non-exclusive, perpetual license to use those incorporated in the deliverables. Third-party materials (such as fonts, stock images or open-source code) remain under their own licenses. Unless the Client objects in writing, the Contractor may show the published work in its portfolio.

5. Confidentiality and personal data

Each Party will keep confidential the non-public information it receives from the other in connection with this agreement and use it only to perform the agreement, during the agreement and for 3 years after its end, except where disclosure is required by law. Each Party will comply with applicable data protection law for any personal data it handles under this agreement.

6. Warranties and liability

The Contractor will perform the Services with reasonable skill and care and, to its knowledge, the deliverables (excluding materials supplied by the Client) will not infringe the rights of third parties. The Client confirms it holds the rights needed for the materials it supplies. To the extent permitted by law, neither Party is liable for indirect losses or lost profits, and each Party's total liability under this agreement is limited to the total fees paid or payable under it. These limits do not apply to fraud, wilful misconduct, gross negligence, personal injury or any liability that cannot be limited by law.

7. Term and termination

This agreement starts on the date of the last signature and ends when the Services are completed and paid. Either Party may terminate it by giving ______________ written notice, or immediately by written notice if the other Party materially breaches it and does not remedy the breach within 15 days of a written request. On termination, the Client pays for the work performed up to the termination date and any approved costs that cannot be cancelled, and the Contractor delivers the work so paid for. Sections 4, 5 and 6 survive termination.

8. General terms and governing law

This agreement, with any documents it refers to, is the entire agreement of the Parties on its subject and may only be amended in writing. Neither Party may assign it without the other's written consent. If any provision is unenforceable, the rest remains in force. This agreement is governed by the laws of ______________, and the Parties will try to settle any dispute amicably for 30 days before referring it to the competent courts. It may be signed electronically.

ClientSignatureDate
ContractorSignatureDate

What a freelance contract covers

A freelance contract (also called an independent contractor agreement or services agreement) sets what you will deliver, by when, for how much, and what happens if something goes wrong. A written scope is the best protection against the classic dispute: the client expected more than you priced.

Use it for any project of real size, with a business client or an individual. For a long relationship made of many small jobs, a framework agreement plus a short quote for each job is often easier to manage.

The clauses that matter

These are the clauses that decide who carries the risk. Read them with your client before signing rather than after a problem.

  • Scope and deliverables: the outputs, their format, the number of revision rounds included, and what is not included.
  • Fees and payment: a fixed price or a rate, the invoicing schedule, the payment deadline and the method. A deposit at signature is common practice on fixed-price projects.
  • Late payment: in the EU, late payments between businesses carry statutory interest and a fixed recovery fee of at least 40 euros (Directive 2011/7/EU). Mention it on your invoices.
  • Intellectual property: rights pass to the client once the work is paid for, while you keep your pre-existing tools and know-how.
  • Liability: a cap, usually the fees of the contract, with the exceptions the law does not allow you to limit.
  • Termination: a notice period, and payment for the work already done.

Common mistakes

Transferring all rights on signature instead of on payment. If the client never pays, you would have given the work away.

Writing a vague IP clause. Some countries, France for example, require a copyright assignment to list the rights transferred and their scope, territory and duration, so describe the intended uses in the services field if that applies to you.

Behaving like an employee. Calling someone a contractor does not make them one: tax and labour authorities look at the real relationship, such as who controls the schedule and methods and whether the freelancer works for other clients.

Starting the work before the contract is signed and before the deposit arrives.

Signing it electronically

A services agreement can be signed electronically in the EU (eIDAS), the US (ESIGN Act and UETA) and most other countries. Click Send it for signature, sign first as the freelancer, and your client receives an e-mail invitation; they sign without creating an account and without paying.

Sending needs a free account, and 5 sends a month are free. Invitations that are not signed get automatic reminders every 48 hours, up to 3 times.

The signed PDF comes with an audit trail, a certificate and a SHA-256 seal that can be checked at signquick.app/verify. It is a simple electronic signature with no identity check, which is the level most freelance contracts are signed with; if a client's procurement rules require a qualified signature, use a provider that offers one.

Questions

Is a freelance contract signed online valid?

Yes. A services agreement needs no special form in most countries, and electronic signatures are legally recognised in the EU (eIDAS), the US (ESIGN Act and UETA) and many other jurisdictions. Keep the signed PDF and its audit certificate with your records.

Who owns the work, the freelancer or the client?

Without a written agreement, the creator usually keeps the copyright, even after being paid. In the US, work by an independent contractor is generally not a work made for hire unless it falls into specific categories and a signed agreement says so. That is why this template assigns the rights in the final deliverables in writing, once they are paid for.

Should a freelancer ask for a deposit?

On fixed-price projects it is common to invoice part of the price at signature, often between 20 and 50 percent, and to start work once it is paid. It reduces the risk of unpaid work and shows the client is committed.

Do I need a contract if my client accepted my quote by e-mail?

An accepted quote can already be a binding agreement, but it rarely covers ownership of the work, liability, confidentiality or termination. For larger projects, sign a services agreement and refer to the quote in the services field.

Does this contract make me an independent contractor?

No document can do that on its own. Your status depends on how the work is actually carried out and on local rules: tax authorities in the US apply their own tests, and courts in France can reclassify a services contract as employment. If the client controls your hours and methods like an employer, get advice.

These templates are general starting points, not legal advice. Laws differ between countries and states: for anything important, have the final text checked by a professional.