Templates · Contracts
Freelance contract checklist for clients
1. Scope and deliverables
- Deliverables listed by name and format (e.g. “Figma file + exported PNGs”, “WordPress theme in a Git repo”).
- What is explicitly out of scope.
- Acceptance criteria: how you decide a milestone is done.
2. Milestones, timeline, revisions
- Milestones with amounts and dates.
- Number of revision rounds included, and the rate for extra rounds.
- Change-request process: written, priced, approved before work.
3. Payment terms
- Fixed-price vs hourly (with weekly cap): which fits.
- Deposit or escrow funding before each milestone.
- Who pays platform and payment fees.
- If you met on a marketplace, payments stay on it: off-platform rules.
4. Intellectual property
In U.S. law, “work made for hire” has a narrow meaning. The U.S. Copyright Office (Circular 30) explains a commissioned work from a non-employee is a work made for hire only if all of these are true:
- It falls in one of nine categories (contribution to a collective work, part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, translation, supplementary work, compilation, instructional text, test, answer material for a test, atlas).
- There is a written agreement,
- that expressly says the work is a work made for hire,
- signed by both parties.
Many freelance deliverables (a logo, a website’s code) may not fit those categories, so contracts often add a written assignment of copyright as well. Ask your lawyer which applies. Also cover: transfer on full payment, third-party assets (fonts, stock, libraries) and their licenses, and whether the freelancer may show the work in a portfolio.
Marketplace defaults differ. Fiverr’s client FAQ, for example, says that unless a Gig states otherwise, IP rights transfer to the client on delivery, subject to full payment. Read your platform’s terms.
5. Confidentiality and data
- What counts as confidential and how long the duty lasts.
- Access you will grant and how it is revoked at the end.
- Any personal data handling requirements for your industry.
6. Ending the engagement
- How either side can terminate, and what is paid for work completed.
- Handover of files, credentials and repos.
- Dispute process: platform dispute tools first, then what?
7. Independent-contractor relationship
State that the freelancer is an independent contractor. Classification depends on the real working relationship, not just the label; check guidance for your country.
What this page does not do
- No “best freelancers” ranking and no paid placements.
- No affiliate partnerships are active on this page.
Pair this with the hiring brief template. Related: hire a logo designer · web developer cost
FAQ
Is freelance work automatically a work made for hire?
No. Under U.S. law, a commissioned work by a non-employee is a work made for hire only if it is in one of nine listed categories and both parties sign a written agreement expressly saying so (U.S. Copyright Office Circular 30).
What should a freelance contract include?
Scope and exclusions, milestones and acceptance criteria, revision limits, payment terms, IP ownership or assignment, confidentiality, termination and handover.
Sources
- U.S. Copyright Office — Circular 30: Works Made for Hire (PDF, rev. 08/2024): www.copyright.gov/circs/circ30.pdf (checked Nov 5, 2026)
- Fiverr Help — FAQs for clients (IP on delivery): help.fiverr.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011454477-FAQs-for-clie (checked Nov 5, 2026)
No affiliate links on this page. Figures change; re-check the official page before you rely on them.