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Freelance contract guides
Plain-English breakdowns of the clauses that actually matter in a freelance contract — what's normal, what's not, and what to say. Most contract clauses freelancers run into fall into four rough families: money clauses decide when and how reliably you get paid (payment terms, kill fees, pay-when-paid); IP clauses decide who owns what you make and when ownership transfers; risk-shifting clauses move legal or financial exposure onto you (indemnity, liability caps, liquidated damages); and exit clauses govern how the relationship can end and what's owed when it does (termination rights, revision limits, non-competes that outlast the project). The guides below go deep on one clause at a time, starting with the ones that show up most often and cost the most when they go unnoticed. Each one shows a real (invented but typical) example clause, the actual counter-language FairClause's own rule library suggests when it flags that pattern, and a short FAQ for the questions that come up most. If you'd rather check a specific contract instead of reading about clauses in the abstract, run it through the free check first.
Kill Fee Clauses in Freelance Contracts: What's Fair
An exit clause. What a kill fee is, typical rates (25–50%), how to tier one by project stage, and wording to add if your contract has none.
Unlimited Revisions Clause: How to Push Back
A money clause disguised as good service. What "unlimited revisions until satisfied" actually costs you in hours and effective rate, and the counter-language to cap it.
Freelance Non-Compete: Should You Sign It?
An exit clause with a long tail. When a non-compete is a reasonable trade, when it's a red flag, and how to negotiate it down to a non-solicit instead.
Pay-When-Paid Clause: Why It's Risky for You
A money clause that outsources someone else's credit risk to you. Real scenarios where it costs freelancers their whole invoice, and the fix.
21 Contract Red Flags Freelancers Shouldn't Sign
A risk-shifting and money-clause round-up. Twenty-one clause patterns that cost freelancers money, grouped and explained, with what to ask for instead of each one.
How to Negotiate a Freelance Contract
What to actually say once you've found the clauses worth pushing back on, with a counter-offer email template you can adapt to your own contract.