Freelance Contract
Instructions Following completion of module content outlining essential and optional contract components, follow the guidelines to draft a fictional freelance contract. You may draft your contract as a Letter of Agreement or in an outline format. Do NOT use a contract template from the internet.
• Create a header. Include your contact information and your logo, if you have one.
• Date the contract.
• Name the other party. Include the party’s contact information.
• Outline the scope of services. What exact services do you agree to? Where does your work begin and end? For example, if your contract is to design a logo, how many revisions will you provide? Consider your final deliverable; when is the work complete? What won’t you do? How will you deliver the work? Be detailed; the scope is the legal substance of the contract.
• State due dates. Outline the project timeline. Include due dates for all deliverables, including benchmarks to show progress and final delivery dates.
• State the consideration/pay. Specify dates and amounts for deposits, if applicable, as well as the project total price and due date. Cite whether or not expenses will be reimbursed. Consider including late fees for late payment on deposits or final payment and/or a “kill” fee if the other party cancels the project .. .
• Agree on rights. As a work-for-hire in your industry, who will own the rights to the work? Remember, this will vary by industry. A graphic designer, for example, who creates an identity system for a client likely turns the rights over to the client. A photographer, on the other hand, may negotiate limited rights. Turn to industry association websites (researched earlier this semester) for industry guidance.
• State an expiration date. When will the offer of services expire? You may include a specific date or simply say “upon completion and payment” or similar verbiage (Tapia). • Include other elements you think are important and common to your industry, such as non-compete clauses or nondisclosure clauses.
• Identify and label components as “required” or “optional.” For example, you might highlight all required components with one color and optional components in another.
