The Freelancer and Client is referred to individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”.
This Freelance Contract (the “Contract”) is entered into and made valid upon signature by both Parties (the “Effective Date”).
WHEREAS, the Client wishes to engage Freelancer for certain freelance services (the "Services"), as described more fully below;
WHEREAS, the Freelancer has the skills, qualifications, and expertise required to provide the Services to the Client;
WHEREAS, the Freelancer wishes to render such Services to the Client;
NOW, therefore, in consideration of the promises and covenants contained herein, as well as other good and valuable consideration (the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged), the Parties do hereby agree as follows:
[Insert detailed description of the specific freelance services that will be rendered under this contract]
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Contract, the Freelancer hereby agrees to render the Services to the Client, and the Client agrees to pay the Freelancer the Fees required for the Services.
Neither Party is by virtue of this Contract authorized as an agent, employee, or legal representative of the other. Neither Party shall have the power to control the activities and operations of the other and its status at all times will continue to be that of an independent contractor relationship.
The Client shall not be permitted to place any location restrictions on the Freelancer. The Freelancer does not use any equipment, including electronic equipment, owned by the Client and the Freelancer does not maintain any equipment at the Client's place of business. The Freelancer may work anywhere the Freelancer chooses. [Subject to agreement between parties]
The Client may not control the hours or timing that the Freelancer works. The Freelancer must keep track of hours for billing purposes only. There is no expectation that the Freelancer works full-time hours. [Subject to agreement between parties]
The Freelancer shall not be permitted to use sub freelancers in the provision of Services to the Client. The Freelancer was hired specifically for the Freelancer's own skill set and may not outsource any work. [Subject to agreement between parties]
Method of Payment: the Freelancer will accept the following forms of payment:
[Insert forms of payment that the freelancer will accept for the fees under this agreement]
Tax Statement: Any and all charges payable under this Agreement are exclusive of taxes, surcharges, or other amounts assessed by state or federal governments. Taxes imposed upon or required to be paid by the Client or the Freelancer shall be the sole and exclusive responsibility of each, respectively.
For any past due payment or past due deadlines, a late fee of the following will apply for either Party, depending on the cause of the lateness:
[Insert what the late fee will be, either as a percentage or a specific monetary amount]
Invoice Interval: Freelancer will be entitled to invoice the Client at the following time period: Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly/At Completion/Other
Invoice Period: The Client shall have the following time period in which to pay the Freelancer's invoice: [Insert within what time period the client must pay the invoices given by the freelancer]
The Freelancer shall be solely and exclusively responsible for any expenses incurred under this Contract. The Client shall not be under the obligation of paying or reimbursing expenses.
The Freelancer agrees that all work-product, inventions, trade secrets, and confidential and/or proprietary information conceived, created or developed by the Freelancer which is related to the Client's actual business or research and development or developed, made, or discovered by the Freelancer in the course of the performance of the Freelancer's duties for the Client, i.e. anything created through the provision of the freelance Services, shall be the property of the Client. The Freelancer hereby assigns to the Client the entire right, title, and interest in and to all work created and in and to all proprietary rights therein or based thereon including without limitation any and all copyrights, patents, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights relating to all work.
Freelancer hereby acknowledges and agrees that Client possesses certain non-public Confidential Information and may also possess Trade Secret Information, (collectively the "Proprietary Information") regarding their business operations and development. The Parties agree that the Proprietary Information is secret and valuable to the Client and that the Freelancer may have access to the Client's Proprietary Information. Each of the Parties desires to maintain the secret and private nature of any Proprietary Information given.
Confidential Information refers to any information which is confidential and commercially valuable to the Client. The Confidential Information may be in the form of documents, techniques, methods, practices, tools, specifications, inventions, patents, trademarks, copyrights etc.
Trade Secret Information shall be defined specifically as any formula, process, method, pattern, design or other information that is not known or reasonably ascertainable by the public, consumers, or competitors through which, and because of such secrecy, an economic or commercial advantage can be achieved.
The Freelancer hereby agrees to:
The Freelancer represents and warrants that it will perform the Services using reasonable care and skill for a Freelancer in their field and that any results, end products, or materials given by the Freelancer to the Client under the terms and conditions of this Contract will not infringe on or violate the intellectual property rights or any other right of any third party.
Except in cases of death or personal injury caused by either Party's negligence, either Party's liability in contract, tort or otherwise arising through or in connection with this Contract or through or in connection with the completion of obligations under this Contract shall be limited to Fees paid by the Client to the Freelancer.
The Freelancer shall indemnify the Client for any damages, claims, liabilities, loss and expense including reasonable attorney’s fees arising out of any act or omission of the Freelancer in performing the Services or the breach of any provision of this Contract by the Freelancer.
Time shall be of the essence for the performance by the Freelancer of its obligations under the Contract. Any dates, periods, or times for performance specified in the Contract are to be met, and in default, the Freelancer will be in breach of the Contract. Specifically, the Freelancer shall have all work completed by: [Insert Date]
This Contract shall terminate automatically on the following date: [Insert Date]
This Contract may also be terminated by either Party, upon notice in writing:
GOVERNING LAW: This Contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the state of [Insert state name] and any applicable federal law. Both Parties consent to jurisdiction under the state and federal courts within the state of [Insert state name]. The Parties agree that this choice of law, venue, and jurisdiction provision is not permissive, but rather mandatory in nature.
ASSIGNMENT: This Contract, or the rights granted hereunder, may not be assigned, sold, leased or otherwise transferred in whole or part by either Party.
AMENDMENTS: This Contract may only be amended in writing signed by both Parties.
NO WAIVER: None of the terms of this Contract shall be deemed to have been waived by any act or acquiescence of either Party. Only an additional written agreement can constitute waiver of any of the terms of this Contract between the Parties.
SEVERABILITY: If any provision or term of this Contract is held to be unenforceable, then this Contract will be deemed amended to the extent necessary to render the otherwise unenforceable provision, and the rest of the Contract, valid and enforceable.
ENTIRE AGREEMENT: This Contract constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties and supersedes any prior or contemporaneous understandings, whether written or oral.
HEADINGS: Headings to this Contract are for convenience only and shall not be construed to limit or otherwise affect the terms of this Contract.
FORCE MAJEURE: The Freelancer is not liable for any failure to perform due to causes beyond its reasonable control including, but not limited to, acts of God, acts of civil authorities, acts of military authorities, riots, embargoes, acts of nature and natural disasters, and other acts which may be due to unforeseen circumstances.
Tame your chaos with a central place to store and manage contracts, so you can analyze, decide and act quicker.
Create & signA freelance contract is a legal framework defining the relationship between a freelancer and a client, outlining the services to be provided and the corresponding compensation. This document establishes clear expectations regarding the freelancer's work and the agreed-upon payment terms.
You may have heard of freelancer contracts called freelance agreements. They are the same thing, and clear and precise contracts are the secret ingredient for a successful work partnership.
Think of it as your compass, guiding you through the collaboration journey, ensuring everyone's on the same page and happy with the outcome.
Embarking on a freelance gig without a contract? Think again.
It's a surefire way to set yourself up for potential pitfalls.
A freelancer contract is not just a piece of paper; it's a shield against disagreements, a roadmap for payments, and a safety net for responsibilities.
Why should you use a freelance agreement?
Have you ever heard the saying "prevention is better than cure"?
In the freelancing world, having a contract is your best prevention strategy.
Whether you're a seasoned freelancer or looking for your first gig, relying on past experiences without a formal agreement in place can result in:
Time to prioritize protection and navigate your freelancing journey with ease. Start with the freelancer contract template above to protect yourself.
Your freelance contract should fit snugly into your industry and local legal landscape. While the specifics may vary based on your unique circumstances, a well-crafted freelance agreement will always cover the essentials.
The freelance agreement should include an extensive description of the work that is to be completed by the freelancer. This consists of a description of the material, quantity, and deadline for delivery.
The fee and method of payment should be specified as well. Should it be paid continuously? On delivery? Is it a fixed amount or an hourly fee? And what if the work still needs to be completed? How is the fee to be paid in that event?
It’s also necessary for both parties to make it clear who owns the copyright for eventual publications. Who owns the rights? How long does the copyright last? How may it be used?
Finally, it helps to agree on who is credited for the publication and who can edit it.
If employed using a freelance agreement, one typically needs to issue an invoice instead of receiving a paycheck.
A comprehensive freelance agreement covers all bases to ensure a smooth working relationship.
You may also want to include additional legal documents like the ones we’ve listed below:
The terms governing freelance contract termination are typically outlined within the contract itself. If you need to end the contract prematurely, refer to these terms, as compensation may be required.
Being "fired" isn’t very common in the freelance world. This is because of the project-based nature of their work. However, clients can terminate a project or contract prematurely if dissatisfaction arises or contractual obligations are breached.
The freelance contract is the best way to navigate client/freelancer relationships. Regardless of project scale or complexity, this tool is a non-negotiable element in your professional toolkit.
Even with repeat clients, refreshing the contract for each new project is essential to accommodate changes in scope or expectations.
Our free freelance contract template provides a valuable starting point for freelancers new to the game, offering a general framework adaptable to unique project needs. However, it's vital to customize the template for each project, incorporating specific payment terms, confidentiality clauses, and deliverable requirements.
As your business evolves, so should your contract.
With growing experience, specific clauses may need adding, removing, or tweaking to align with professional needs.
Ultimately, a freelance contract is a cornerstone of your business, essential for building and maintaining client trust. Without it, the risk of losing both trust and business looms large.
Ditch the PDF back and forth. Send your contract with Contractbook and stay on top of renewals, deadlines, and obligations with automatic reminders, tasks, and more.
And that's just the beginning...
1. Create contracts in seconds. Generate drafts from your connected tools, a form submission, or templates.
Have you ever tried to edit a PDF? They're designed to be tamper-proof, not working documents for collaboration.
When you send contracts with Contractbook, you can track changes with an extensive audit trail and side-by-side version comparisons. This makes negotiations and keeping track of obligations, deadlines, and tasks way easier.
You can't do that with a PDF.
This contract outlines the terms for a freelancer to provide services to a client. It defines the services to be rendered, fees to be paid, intellectual property ownership, confidentiality requirements, warranties, liability limitations, termination conditions, and other legal provisions governing the freelance engagement. The contract aims to establish an independent contractor relationship between the parties.
Manually processing standardized legal contracts is tedious, error-prone, and (let’s be honest) boring. Let our scanner do the hard work for you.
Ditch Google Docs or static PDFs and let your contract data work for you. Stay on top of renewals, deadlines, and obligations with automatic reminders, tasks, and more — all based on contract data.
And that's just the beginning...