Contract clause library
Most freelance disasters trace back to a missing sentence. These four clauses are those sentences: copy them, adapt the bracketed parts, and put them in every contract before you need them.
These are starting-point templates in plain language, not legal advice. Laws vary by state and country; for significant contracts, have a lawyer review your terms.
01 Late payment
Invoices are due within [14] days of the invoice date. Overdue balances accrue interest at [1.5]% per month (or the maximum rate permitted by law, whichever is lower), beginning the day after the due date. Work in progress may be paused while any invoice remains more than [14] days overdue.
How to use it: The pause sentence is the one with teeth. Interest makes lateness cost something; pausing work makes it cost the thing the client actually wants.
02 Cancellation (kill fee)
Either party may terminate this agreement with written notice. Upon termination by the Client, the Client will pay for all work completed to date, plus a cancellation fee of [30]% of the fees for the remaining uncompleted work. All completed work and rights transfer to the Client only upon full payment.
How to use it: The rights-on-payment sentence protects you both ways: no payment, no deliverables. Pair it with the kill fee calculator to see what a given cancellation is worth.
03 Deposit and milestones
A non-refundable deposit of [30]% of the project fee is due before work begins and reserves the project start date. The remaining balance is due in [2] milestone payments tied to the deliverables listed in the project scope. Each milestone is invoiced upon delivery and due within [14] days; subsequent work begins upon payment.
How to use it: Milestones tie to deliverables, never dates, so client delays do not delay your cash. The deposit's job is filtering: serious clients do not blink at 30%.
04 Scope changes
The project scope is defined in [the attached statement of work]. Requests outside that scope are welcome and will be quoted separately as a change order at [the standard hourly rate], with any impact on the timeline stated before work begins. Change orders take effect upon written approval.
How to use it: This clause turns "just one quick thing" into a polite quote instead of a free favor. The scope creep calculator shows what skipping it costs per year.