Freelance Contract Builder

Generic contract templates miss the clauses that actually matter — IP, scope, kill fees, late payment — because those are the clauses that depend on the specifics of the engagement. A web developer's contract needs different protections than a copywriter's. A retainer needs different language than a fixed-price project. This skill produces situation-specific contracts, not a download with your name in the header.

The process starts with the deal terms. Parties, jurisdiction, deliverables (and what's explicitly excluded), timeline, fee structure, payment schedule, kill fee, expense handling, IP ownership, pre-existing materials. Retainers get an extra layer — what's included in the monthly fee, how overages are billed, minimum commitment term, notice period to end. Each engagement is then run through a risk profile across five factors: scope clarity, client type, payment size, IP sensitivity, and timeline pressure. High-risk areas get strengthened clauses.

Every contract follows the same ten-section structure: parties, scope, timeline, compensation, IP, confidentiality, warranties and liability cap, termination, general provisions (including substitution rights and no-mutuality-of-obligation for UK IR35 posture), and signatures. Plain English throughout — legalese the parties can't understand defeats the purpose. The defaults lean slightly more protective of the freelancer because they have less bargaining power and more downside, but the contract still has to work for both sides or it gets rejected.

The draft gets stress-tested against the scenarios that actually break freelance projects: client ghosts after delivery, scope creeps past the original brief, unlimited-revisions request lands, project cancelled at 60% completion, client delays feedback for weeks, dispute arises and you need a resolution path before litigation. If a scenario isn't covered, the clause gets tightened.

The output includes a Risk Assessment (the specific risks of this engagement and how the contract handles them), the full contract text, and Clause Notes explaining which clauses are "do not remove" (IP, payment, liability cap) and which are safely adjustable in negotiation (revision rounds, timeline flexibility). If a client has already sent their own contract, the skill reviews it against the structure and drafts amendment clauses the freelancer can propose — you don't have to reject the client's contract, you can strengthen it.

This produces a drafted contract, not legal advice. Contracts are legally binding and the small print really does matter — especially around IP assignment, liability caps, and termination clauses where a single word can shift who bears the risk. Have a qualified solicitor review the draft before signing. The skill is a starting point for professional review, not a substitute for one.