How to Write a Freelance Contract (Step by Step, With Examples)

A freelance contract is a written record of what you and the client agreed: what you will deliver, by when, for how much, and what happens when something changes. If you can explain the project in two sentences, you can write the contract. Legal phrasing matters much less than being specific: "a 5-page marketing website with contact form, delivered as a live WordPress install" protects you far better than "web design services".

1. Parties: your name or business, the client's legal name, and contact emails.
2. Scope of work: deliverables, formats, and what is explicitly not included.
3. Timeline: start date, milestones, final delivery, and what happens if the client is late with feedback.
4. Fees and payment terms: total or rate, deposit, due dates, accepted methods.
5. Revisions: how many rounds are included and the price of extra rounds.
6. Intellectual property: who owns the work, and when ownership transfers (ideally on final payment).
7. Termination: how either side can end it, and what is owed for work already done.
8. Liability and governing law: a cap on your liability and which jurisdiction applies.

• A deposit: 30-50% before work starts. See how much deposit to charge.
• A late payment clause: a fee or interest on overdue invoices, stated up front. See how to write one.
• A kill fee: what the client owes if they cancel midway. See kill fee clauses.

The fastest safe route is a template written for your kind of work, then edited for the project. There are 50 free templates by trade, from a general freelance service agreement to web development and consulting retainers.

Draft it now with Clinch: describe the job in a sentence, get a clean draft, send one link. Your client signs from their phone without an account, and the deposit is paid in the same step.