Every project can end early
Budgets get cut, companies pivot, relationships sour. Without a termination clause, ending a project early turns into a negotiation about what is owed. With one, it's arithmetic.
Two ways out
- For convenience: either side can end the contract for any reason with written notice (commonly 7-14 days on projects, 30 days on retainers).
- For cause: immediate termination if the other side breaches a material term and doesn't fix it within a cure period (often 7-10 days).
What gets paid
The clause should say the client pays for all work completed up to the termination date, plus any non-refundable costs, and that the deposit is non-refundable. A kill fee covers the time you reserved and can no longer fill. Ownership of completed work transfers only once that final amount is paid.
Sample wording
> Either party may terminate this Agreement with 14 days' written notice. On termination, the Client shall pay for all services performed up to the termination date. The deposit is non-refundable. Rights in completed deliverables transfer to the Client on receipt of that payment.
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.