A real freelance contract, not a handshake
Unpaid invoices and endless revisions usually trace back to working without a clear agreement. This builder produces an independent contractor services agreement covering the things that actually cause disputes — scope, deliverables, fee, payment schedule, revision limits, IP ownership, and termination — so you can lock terms before the first deliverable.
How it works
You enter the parties, project, and commercial terms, and the tool assembles matching clauses:
- Scope clause — lists deliverables exactly as you write them, creating a clear definition of what “done” means.
- Payment clause — computes the deposit and balance from your total fee and deposit percentage, and states a net payment window (net 7, 14, or 30 days).
- Revisions clause — caps included rounds and bills extra work at an hourly rate, the standard defense against scope creep.
- IP clause — two patterns: assign ownership to the client on full payment, or have the freelancer retain ownership and grant a licence. The payment trigger protects the freelancer until the invoice clears.
- Termination clause — lets either party exit with notice, with payment due for work completed to that date.
- Independent contractor clause — explicitly establishes the working relationship as contractor, not employee, which matters for tax classification and benefit eligibility.
The clauses that matter most
Scope definition is where most disputes originate. Vague deliverables (“a website,” “some copywriting”) create disagreement about what was promised. Concrete, measurable deliverables (“one responsive five-page marketing site with contact form, delivered as a GitHub repository and deployed to the client’s hosting account”) leave little room for argument.
Revision limits matter even more with long-term clients who feel entitled to unlimited tweaks. State the number of included revision rounds and charge for anything beyond. Two to three rounds is the industry standard for creative work. An hourly overage rate of roughly 1.5x your day-rate is a reasonable deterrent to excessive change requests.
IP assignment tied to payment is the freelancer’s most important protection. Until the client pays in full, the work belongs to the person who created it. This is the legal mechanism that gives a freelancer leverage when a client is slow to pay — they cannot use the deliverable without the rights transfer.
Tips and example
Write deliverables as concrete artifacts — one responsive marketing site, up to 5 pages rather than a website — so “done” is unambiguous. Take a deposit; 30 to 50 percent up front is normal and weeds out non-serious clients. Keep included revisions to two or three rounds and state the hourly rate for anything beyond. Tie IP assignment to full payment so you retain leverage if the client stalls. For large engagements, have counsel review the final document before signing.
This is a practical template, not legal advice. Laws on contractor classification, IP ownership, and enforceability vary by jurisdiction.