Neither a freelancer nor client may break the contract without the other’s consent. Your freelancer contract includes information regarding:
- Scope of work
- Payment terms
- Ownerships
- Timelines
Also included can be any additional information related to the client’s work.
How do freelance agreements benefit you?
When you work as a freelancer, all of your tasks are left to you, and this can be overwhelming.
The more difficult the task is, the greater the chance that you will be in a vulnerable position. This will occur if you are not able to find the right clients, discuss the scope of the project, and negotiate the contract with them correctly.
These are some of the problems freelancers may face:
- There may be a problem with paying you on time.
- You may be able to increase your fee without increasing the scope of your client’s work.
- If your client ghosts you without paying you in full, it may be difficult to get your money back.
- A client might not keep his or her promises in some cases.
The following may be concerns that your clients have about working with a freelancer:
- It is possible that your work is not up to par.
- There is a possibility that you will miss a deadline.
- Ghosting clients is possible.
- You may not be able to deliver the work you promised.
All of these things are legally binding when you have a freelancer service agreement, as are the terms between you and your clients.
It is very important to have a freelance contract to protect you and your client from strays. In the event that you deviate from the terms of the contract, you can sue the client for damages.
How should your freelance contract be written?
After you understand the importance of signing a freelance contract, we will give you some recommendations for what you should include in your contract.
1. Introductory statement
As part of your freelance contract, you should include a statement that gives your full name, your client’s name, and a statement detailing the scope of the work to be performed.
The client and contractor should be identified with their designations “Client” and “Contractor”, respectively, in your introductory statement.
2. Scope of work
A freelance contract should also include the scope of work.
Defining the scope of work clearly can prevent future problems. It is a common problem for freelancers to face that clients want to increase the work for the same payment terms.
3. Deliverables
Furthermore, you should specify whether this freelance project will contain any deliverables. You can even break the project into smaller deliverables and include their deadlines.
4. Timelines
The use of a timeline is an important part of any freelance contract. By having a timeline, you can ensure that your deliverables are on time and meet the expectations of your clients without having to worry about it.
5. Payment information
There are several details that should be included in your freelance contract concerning how, when and how much money should be paid.
6. Ownership
When you’re a freelancer, you may want to take back control of the work you’ve done. Clients may also want complete ownership of the work you deliver.
7. Late payment terms
Although you will have referenced timelines for payment receipt in your contract, you can also include a clause about delayed payments in your agreement that may extend your payment terms. Despite naming the timelines for payment receipt, you can also reference late payment terms in your contract.
8. Termination clause
When the freelance agreement contains a termination clause, it should explain how either party can terminate the current freelance agreement at any time, whether it is a retainer-based agreement or an ongoing project.
9. Signatures
The freelance contract also needs to be signed by both yourself and the client. This can be accomplished by using electronic signature tool that creates a legal document once both parties sign. You need both of them to sign for the contract to be effective.
Read more,