How to write a freelance contract: 10 clauses that prevent disputes

Published 26 September 2026 · Updated 4 October 2026 · Freelancing and getting paid

Most freelance disputes come down to one of three questions: what was included, when you get paid, and who owns the work. A short contract that answers them before you start saves weeks of awkward emails later.

The ten clauses

1. Who the parties are. Your business name and the client's legal name, not just a contact person.
2. Scope. What you will deliver, in a list: pages, designs, articles, hours of coverage or posts per week. Add what is not included.
3. Timeline and client inputs. Your deadlines, and the date the client must supply content, feedback or access. If they are late, your dates move.
4. Revisions. How many rounds are included, and your hourly rate for anything beyond them.
5. Fees. A flat fee or an hourly rate with an estimate. The free freelance rate calculator helps you set it.
6. Deposit and payment terms. How much is due up front, when invoices are due and how to pay. See the payment terms clause.
7. Late payment. Interest on overdue invoices and a right to pause work. The late payment interest calculator shows what it adds up to.
8. Cancellation and kill fee. What the client pays if they cancel after work has started. See what a kill fee is.
9. Ownership. Whether the client owns the work or gets a licence, and that rights pass only on payment in full. See the intellectual property clause.
10. Independent contractor status and governing law. You run your own business and pay your own taxes; name the law that applies.

Keep it short enough to be signed

Two or three pages is plenty for most projects. A client is more likely to sign a clear, fair contract today than a long one next week, and an unsigned contract protects no one.

Start from a template for your trade

The free freelance contract templates already contain these clauses for web design, graphic design, photography, social media management and writing. Answer the questions for each client, and optional terms such as a deposit or kill fee only appear when you switch them on.

General information, not legal advice. Contract rules differ between countries and states.

More on freelancing and getting paid

• What to include in a statement of work (SOW)
• Quote vs estimate vs invoice: what is the difference?
• How to write an invoice: what to include and how to number it
• What is a kill fee? How to set one in a freelance contract
• What to do when a client won't pay: a step-by-step plan
• How to write a demand letter for unpaid invoices
• What is a change order? How to handle scope changes
• What is a credit note? When to issue one, what it must say

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