Freelance contract template

A free freelance contract template in plain language. The clauses every client agreement needs, a sample you can copy and fill in, and versions for 25 trades with the clauses that trade argues about most.

Not legal advice. This is a plain-language starting point, not a contract drafted for your situation or your country. For anything large or unusual, have a lawyer where you work read it before you sign.

The clauses every freelance contract needs

Parties. Who the agreement is between: your legal name or business, the client's legal entity, and the addresses of both.
Scope of work. What you will deliver, in what form, and what is explicitly not included. Refer to the quote or proposal by number if it lists the details.
Fees and payment terms. The total fee or rate, the currency, any deposit, when invoices are issued and how many days the client has to pay.
Late payment. What happens when an invoice is late: interest or a fixed fee if you want one, and your right to pause work until the account is settled.
Changes and revisions. How many revision rounds are included, what counts as a change of scope, and how extra work is priced and approved.
Timeline and client delays. Key dates, and that deadlines move when the client is late with feedback, content or approvals.
Ownership and licence. Who owns the finished work and when (usually on full payment), what the client may use it for, and what you keep, such as your tools, templates and know-how.
Confidentiality. Both sides keep the other's non-public information private, during the project and after it.
Cancellation. How either side can end the agreement, the notice required, and payment for work done up to that point.
Liability. A cap on what either side can claim, often the fees paid under the agreement, and no liability for indirect losses.
Governing law. Which country's law applies and where disputes are heard. Usually where you are based.

Sample freelance contract

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and cut what doesn't apply. Shorter is fine as long as the scope, the money and the rights are clear.

1. Parties

This agreement is between [Your name or business], the freelancer ("we"), and [Client legal name], the client ("you"), and starts on [date].

2. The work

We will deliver the work described in quote [number], dated [date]. Anything not listed there is outside this agreement and will be quoted separately before we start on it.

3. Ownership and use

Once every invoice under this agreement is paid, [you own the final deliverables / you may use the work for (purpose)]. We keep our working files, tools, templates and methods, and may show the finished work in our portfolio unless you tell us in writing not to.

4. Your material

You confirm you have the right to use everything you give us for the project, such as text, images, logos, fonts and data, and that we may use it for this work.

5. Fees and payment

The fee is [amount and currency]. We invoice [a deposit of X on signing and the balance on delivery / monthly in arrears]. Invoices are due within [14] days. If an invoice is more than [14] days late we may pause work until it is paid.

6. Changes

The quote includes [number] rounds of revisions. Further changes, or changes to work you have already approved, are charged at [rate] once you have agreed to the cost in writing.

7. Delays

Dates in the quote assume you send feedback and material on time. If you are late, the dates move by at least the same amount.

8. Confidentiality

We both keep the other's non-public information confidential, during this project and after it ends.

9. Ending the agreement

Either of us can end this agreement with [14] days' written notice. You pay for the work done up to the end date, and anything already paid for is yours to use under the terms above.

10. Liability

Neither of us is liable for indirect or consequential losses. Our total liability under this agreement is limited to the fees you have paid under it.

11. Law

This agreement is governed by the law of [country], and disputes are heard by the courts of [city or country].

Signatures

Freelancer: [name, date]. Client: [name, title, date].

Contract templates by trade

Written per trade: the clauses that trade argues about most, and a sample with them folded in.

3D artistsSettle who owns the models, the renders and the scene files, and what counts as a revision, before the first blockout.Graphic designersSet out concept and revision limits, copyright transfer on payment, and who holds the font and stock licences in a graphic design job.IllustratorsPut the licence terms, sketch approvals, kill fees and credit lines for an illustration job in writing before the first rough.Motion designersLock styleframe and animatic sign-offs, versioning limits and project file ownership in a motion design contract before animation starts.AnimatorsFix storyboard and animatic approvals, character ownership and rig handover in an animation contract before frames start moving.Video editorsSet picture lock, revision limits, music licensing and project file ownership in a video editing contract before the first cut.VideographersCover cancellations, weather days, overtime, releases and raw footage ownership in a videography contract before you book the crew.PhotographersPut copyright, the usage licence, kill fees, image delivery and model releases for a photo shoot in a plain-language contract.UX designersAgree phase approvals, research data handling, file ownership and handoff scope in a UX design contract before discovery starts.Web developersAgree on launch acceptance, licence ownership, client content and what happens to the site if a maintenance retainer ends.Software developersCover IP assignment, open-source components, acceptance testing, the bug warranty and repository access in plain terms.Game developersSet out milestone approval, engine licences, asset and code ownership, revenue share reporting and how crunch and scope changes are paid.Data analystsCover data access, confidentiality, personal data handling, reproducible handover and the limits of what an analysis claims.SEO consultantsPut in writing that SEO results are not guaranteed, what the client must implement, how tools and links are paid for, and the minimum term.TranslatorsSet terms for confidentiality, source text responsibility, translation memory ownership, certification and how complaints about style are handled.CopywritersAgree usage rights, edit rounds, kill fees, approvals and claims checking before the first draft, in language a marketing team will sign.Content writersSettle bylines and ghostwriting, rights to the articles, briefs and rewrites, retainer terms and fact-checking before the first piece.Social media managersAgree on account ownership, access, approvals and who pays for ads before you get the passwords to a client's social accounts.Marketing consultantsPut strategy deliverables, retainer scope, ad spend handling and a clear no-guarantee clause in writing before a marketing engagement starts.Business consultantsCover confidentiality, scope of the deliverable, client access and liability for decisions in a plain consulting agreement.ArchitectsSet out stages, the client's brief and budget, changes after approval, copyright in drawings and liability limits in an architect's appointment.Interior designersCover procurement, deposits, non-returnable custom orders, contractor coordination and supplier delays in a plain interior design agreement.Voice actorsFix usage, renewals, buyouts and a ban on AI voice cloning in writing before you record a line for a client.Music producersAgree splits, credits, master ownership, stems and sample clearance in a producer agreement before the track is released.Virtual assistantsCover confidentiality, data access, purchases, response times and what happens to logins when a virtual assistant engagement ends.

Questions

Is a plain-language contract binding?

In most places a contract doesn't need legal wording to count. It needs both sides to agree to clear terms, ideally in writing and signed. Plain language makes it more likely you both read it the same way. For large or unusual work, have a lawyer where you work read it first.

Do I need a contract if I already sent a quote?

The quote covers what and how much. The contract covers what happens when things go differently: late payment, extra rounds, cancellation, who owns the work. A short contract that refers to the quote by number does both jobs.

When should the client sign?

Before you start, together with the deposit if you take one. Work started on a verbal yes is the work most often argued about later.

One app for the paperwork and the work

In OIO proposals, invoices and contracts belong to the client and the project they're for, and the money view shows what is outstanding and what is paid. Free plan, no card.

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Then put the price on paper: quote template and invoice template.