Freelance Contract Template: Clauses That Get You Paid
A freelance contract needs seven clauses to protect you: exact scope, payment terms with dates, a late fee, a kill fee, revision limits, IP transfer on payment, and a governing law line. Most free templates online cover three of these and skip the late fee — the clause that actually gets invoices paid. This page gives you the full template with each clause explained, including the UK statutory interest rates (8% over base plus £40–£100 per invoice) that apply even when your contract says nothing. Copy it, fill the brackets, and have a solicitor review it before first use.
The one-line version: never start work on a promise — a one-page agreement with payment dates and a late fee beats a ten-page template with neither. The template below is that one page, plus the two UK-specific lines most generic templates miss.
The 7 clauses, and why each earns its place
1. Scope in deliverables, not hours. "Brand identity for X" invites argument; "logo suite (3 concepts, 2 revision rounds), brand guidelines PDF (12 pages), delivered by [date]" does not. Every scope dispute we see in the late-payment recovery guide traces to a vague scope line. List what is included and, briefly, what is not.
2. Payment terms with calendar dates. "Net 30" drifts; "£3,000 due within 30 days of each invoice, invoices issued on the 1st and 15th" does not. Name the amount or rate, the invoice schedule, the payment method, and who pays transaction fees. Our invoice generator stamps these terms onto every invoice automatically.
3. A late fee with a number. This is the clause that changes client behavior. In the UK you do not even need it in writing: statute adds 8% over the Bank of England base rate plus £40–£100 per invoice depending on debt size, per GOV.UK's late payment rules — but writing it in removes all argument. In the US there is no federal statutory rate, so the contract must state one: "1.5% per month" (about 18% APR) is standard and enforceable in most states when agreed upfront. Price any fee with our late payment interest calculator before you quote it.
4. A kill fee. If the client cancels mid-project, you keep a percentage: 25% after kickoff, 50% past first draft, 100% past final delivery is the common ladder. Without it, a cancelled project pays zero for real hours worked.
5. Revision limits. Two revision rounds per deliverable, then hourly billing at your rate. Unlimited revisions is how fixed-price projects go underwater — the clause converts scope creep into paid change orders.
6. IP transfers on payment, not on delivery. "All intellectual property transfers to the client upon receipt of full and final payment." This single sentence is your leverage: until the last invoice clears, the work product is legally still yours.
7. Governing law in one line. "This agreement is governed by the laws of [England and Wales / the State of ___]." Skip it and a dispute becomes a jurisdiction argument before it becomes a payment argument.
Copy-paste template
Fill every bracket, delete nothing, and get it reviewed. This is education, not legal advice — see our disclaimer.
| FREELANCE SERVICES AGREEMENT 1. PARTIES. This agreement is between [Your legal name / company] ("Contractor") and [Client legal name] ("Client"), dated [date]. 2. SCOPE. Contractor will deliver: [deliverable 1 with quantities], [deliverable 2], by [dates]. The following are EXCLUDED: [list]. Additional work is billed at [rate]/hour under a written change order. 3. FEES AND PAYMENT. Total fee: [amount] ([rate structure]). Invoices issued [schedule]. Payment due within [30] days of invoice to [method/account]. Client pays transaction fees. 4. LATE PAYMENT. Overdue invoices accrue [1.5% per month / UK statutory interest at 8% over base plus £40–£100 per invoice] from the due date. Work pauses after [14] days overdue; deadlines extend day-for-day. 5. KILL FEE. Cancellation pays 25% of remaining fee after kickoff, 50% after first draft, 100% after final delivery. 6. REVISIONS. [2] revision rounds per deliverable included; further revisions at [rate]/hour. 7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. All IP transfers to Client upon receipt of full and final payment. Until then it remains Contractor's property. 8. CONFIDENTIALITY. Both sides keep each other's non-public business information confidential for [2] years. 9. TERMINATION. Either side may terminate with [14] days' written notice; kill-fee clause 5 applies. 10. GOVERNING LAW. This agreement is governed by the laws of [jurisdiction]. Contractor signature / date: _______________ Client signature / date: _______________ |
UK vs US: the two lines that differ
UK freelancers get statutory interest for free: 8% over base plus the £40/£70/£100 tiered compensation applies to qualifying business debts automatically, so the template's clause 4 restates a right you already hold. US freelancers get nothing by default — the clause IS the right, so the stated rate and the client's signature carry the full weight. Either way, invoice promptly: statutory and contractual interest both run from the due date, and every week of late invoicing is interest you never billed. When a client still will not pay, the escalation path (reminders, formal demand, small claims) is walked step by step in our client not paying guide.
Related tools
Price the late fee before you write it with the late payment interest calculator, stamp the payment terms onto real paperwork with the invoice generator with tax set-aside, and set the headline rate itself with the hourly rate calculator.