ContractKit

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Stop writing your freelance contract from a blank page.

Fill in nine fields and download a complete, ready-to-sign Master Services Agreement — Net-14 terms, 1.5%/month late interest, IP that transfers only on full payment, a kill fee, and a liability cap. Opens straight in Word, Pages, or Google Docs.

What the clauses actually do for you

• You get paid or you keep the code. IP assigns only after full payment clears — until then the client holds an evaluation licence.
• Late fees with teeth. Net-14, 1.5% monthly interest, and a documented right to down tools at 21 days overdue.
• A kill fee. If they cancel mid-project you bill the work done plus a percentage of what was left.
• Liability capped at 6 months of fees, with consequential damages excluded — the clause that stops a $6k project becoming a $600k lawsuit.
• Portfolio rights preserved by default, so you can show the work.

Need the rest of the paperwork?

Questions freelancers ask before sending a contract

Is a contract generated online legally binding?

Yes. A services agreement is binding once both parties sign it and consideration (the fee) is exchanged; it does not need a lawyer, a notary, or special paper. What matters is that the parties, the scope, the price, and the payment terms are clearly identified — which is exactly what the nine fields above fill in. For high-value or regulated work, have a lawyer review it.

What should a freelance contract include?

At minimum: the legal names and addresses of both parties, a description of the services, the rate and payment schedule, who owns the intellectual property and when it transfers, what happens if the client cancels, a liability cap, and the governing state. Leaving out the IP-transfer trigger and the late-payment terms is the single most common and most expensive mistake.

When should I use an MSA plus an SOW instead of one contract?

Use a Master Services Agreement when you expect repeat work from the same client. The MSA is signed once and holds the legal terms; each new project is then a short Statement of Work referencing it. That means you negotiate the hard clauses one time instead of on every project. The generator above produces the MSA; the $29 pack adds the matching SOW and scope-change addendum.

Do I need an NDA as well?

If the client shares customer data, source code, or unreleased plans, yes — and a mutual NDA is better than a one-way one, because your own methods and rates are confidential too. A mutual NDA is included in the pack.

How do I charge late fees and actually get paid?

Late fees only work if the contract sets them out in advance: a due date (Net-14), an interest rate (1.5% per month), and a documented right to stop work once the invoice passes a threshold. Then you have to actually escalate on a schedule. The pack includes three ready-to-send escalation emails from friendly day-7 reminder to final notice.

ContractKit is a document generator, not a law firm, and this page is not legal advice. Read what you sign.

More free tools: smeltworks.com