10 Red Flags in a Client's Contract (Before You Sign It)

When a client sends their own agreement, it was written to protect them. That's not malicious, but it means you need to read it. These are the clauses that matter most.

1. Payment on net 60 or later, or "upon client approval" with no deadline.
2. Unlimited revisions or "until the client is satisfied".
3. IP transfer on creation instead of on payment.
4. Unlimited indemnity: you cover any loss, however caused.
5. No liability cap.
6. Broad non-compete stopping you working in your industry.
7. Termination without payment for work done.
8. Kill fee missing on long bookings.
9. Confidentiality with no end date and no portfolio carve-out.
10. Governing law in a jurisdiction you could never afford to litigate in.

Paste the contract into the free contract red flags checker: it highlights these patterns and suggests fairer wording.

Keep it short and specific: "Two small changes before I sign: payment within 14 days of each milestone, and ownership transferring on final payment. Everything else looks good." Most clients accept reasonable edits. Or offer your own contract instead. 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.