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Reviewing a Freelance Contract β€” A 5-Minute Checklist

Most freelance contracts hide the same 5 risks. Here's how to find each one in 5 minutes.

The checklist

  1. 1

    Payment terms

    Net-15 to net-30 with deposit and late-payment interest is fair. Net-60+ is a financing favor to the client.

    Payment terms clause β†’
  2. 2

    IP transfer

    Tie transfer to final payment received β€” not signing.

    IP assignment clause β†’
  3. 3

    Indemnification

    Mutual, capped at fees paid, with carve-outs for gross negligence only.

    Indemnification clause β†’
  4. 4

    Termination + kill fee

    14–30 day notice + 25–50% kill fee on cancelled milestones.

    Kill fee clause β†’
  5. 5

    Usage rights

    Define media, territory, duration, exclusivity. Charge an uplift for broad rights.

    Usage rights clause β†’

Red flags

  • Net-90 with no deposit
  • IP transfer at signing
  • Uncapped one-sided indemnity
  • No kill fee
  • Worldwide perpetual exclusive rights for free
  • Termination at any time

Green flags

  • Net-15/30 + deposit
  • IP on final payment
  • Mutual capped indemnity
  • 25–50% kill fee
  • Defined usage scope
  • 30-day notice termination

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Tips for best scan resultsβ–Ύ
  • Sharp focus. Tap your camera to focus before snapping; avoid motion blur.
  • Even lighting. Daylight or a desk lamp works best β€” no harsh shadows or glare.
  • Straight on. Hold the phone parallel to the page; we'll auto-deskew small angles.
  • Whole page in frame. Include all four edges; crop tight but don't clip text.
  • High resolution. 1500px+ on the long edge. Most modern phone cameras qualify.
  • Plain background. Place pages on a contrasting flat surface (e.g. dark desk).
  • PDF preferred. If you have a digital PDF, upload that instead of a photo β€” it's faster and more accurate. Limits: PDF ≀15MB, image ≀8MB.
For more accurate risk flagging (optional)

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Not legal advice. For informational purposes only.