Freelancers & Agencies
Protect margins and ownership before accepting client terms.
Check a client contractCommon contracts
- Master service agreements
- Statements of work
- Retainer agreements
- Creative production contracts
- Independent contractor terms
Clause risks that usually hit freelancers first
- Auto-renewal traps: lock-ins that keep low-rate retainers running.
- Personal guarantee clauses: direct personal liability for project disputes.
- Unlimited liability: risk disproportionate to contract value.
- Payment terms: long payment cycles, one-sided acceptance criteria, chargebacks.
- Termination penalties: termination for convenience with no fair wind-down fees.
- IP transfer: overbroad assignment of reusable methods, templates, and code.
Outcome
Negotiate from a clear risk map instead of discovering issues after delivery starts.
Review your agreement Help a startup
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