Freelance Contract: what every freelancer should include
A freelance contract defines the working relationship between a freelancer and a client: what you'll build, what they'll pay, and who owns what afterward. For freelancers, it's the difference between chasing invoices and getting paid on time. For clients, it's proof of what was actually agreed.
Freelance Contract
When to use a Freelance Contract
- Starting any freelance project where you're paid per project or per hour
- Working with a new client for the first time
- Any project involving creative work, code, or written content where ownership matters
- Recurring engagements where having terms locked in once saves renegotiating constantly
Key terms in a freelance contract
These clauses appear in most freelance contract documents. Knowing what they mean helps you review faster.
Project scope and deliverables
The specific outputs you will provide: design files, a functioning website, a set of articles. The more specific, the fewer 'can you just also...' requests.
Revision rounds
How many rounds of feedback and changes are included in the quoted price. Two rounds is a common standard. Revisions beyond that trigger a change order at your hourly rate.
Payment terms
Deposit amount (typically 25–50% upfront), final payment timing (on delivery or net 30), and late fees. An upfront deposit filters out low-commitment clients.
Kill fee
What the client pays if they cancel a project after work has begun. Typically 25–50% of the remaining balance, depending on how far along the project is.
Ownership and licensing
Whether copyright transfers to the client on final payment (common for custom design work) or you retain the underlying assets and license the work (common for stock-based or modular work).
Portfolio rights
Whether you can show the completed work in your portfolio. Clients in regulated industries sometimes need to restrict this; get agreement in writing either way.
Sign a Freelance Contract with InkRobin
Upload your freelance contract, place a signature field, and send a link. The recipient signs in their browser. No account, no app. Free for up to 5 documents per month.
Questions
- Do I need a lawyer to write a freelance contract?
- Not necessarily. Many freelancers use templates and adapt them to their work. For complex projects over $10,000 or those involving significant IP, a one-time legal review is worth the cost.
- Can I sign a freelance contract by email?
- An email agreement can be binding, but it's harder to prove and lacks a proper signature. An electronically signed contract with an audit trail is much cleaner, and InkRobin makes it free.
- What if a client refuses to sign?
- That's useful information. A client who won't commit terms to writing is a risk. You can proceed without a contract, but you lose almost every dispute without one.
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