Key takeaways
- A contract should describe decisions, not merely sound formal.
- Scope, acceptance and change control work together.
- IP ownership and permission to show work are separate questions.
- Material or high-risk work deserves qualified legal review.
Before freelance work starts, discuss what will be delivered, how completion is judged, when money is due, what happens when the brief changes, who can use the work, and how either side can end the engagement. The signed wording should match how the project will actually run.
Parties and authority
- Correct legal names, addresses and company numbers where relevant
- Named contacts and who may approve work or changes
- The effective date and entire-agreement position
Scope, deliverables and acceptance
- Specific deliverables, formats and quantities
- What is expressly outside scope
- Milestones, deadlines and client dependencies
- An objective acceptance process and review window
- What happens if feedback or materials arrive late
“Website redesign” is ambiguous. A useful scope identifies pages, responsive states, content responsibility, browser support, handover files, integrations and post-launch support. Acceptance should refer to agreed requirements, not a new preference introduced at the end.
Fees, expenses and payment
- Fixed fee, day rate or other basis
- Deposit and milestone amounts
- VAT treatment where applicable
- Approved expenses and any cap
- Invoice timing, payment date and accepted method
- Late-payment wording and recovery process
- Whether work pauses when undisputed invoices are overdue
UK law may provide statutory interest and recovery costs for late commercial payments, but whether it applies and whether the contract sets another rate need checking. Put the practical reminder and escalation process in your operating notes as well as the agreement.
Revisions and change requests
Define the number or type of included revision rounds. A change process should record the request, effect on price and timing, and approval before extra work begins. A small email approval can be enough operationally if the main contract permits it and the decision is clear.
Intellectual property, licences and portfolio use
- Identify pre-existing tools, templates and third-party materials
- State what is assigned or licensed, to whom, when and for which uses
- Tie any transfer to full payment if appropriate
- Address moral rights and open-source licences where relevant
- Ask separately for permission to show the work in a portfolio
Do not assume the person paying automatically owns every underlying asset. UK copyright ownership depends on how work was created and what has been agreed. Record the intended commercial outcome precisely.
Confidentiality, data and risk
- What information is confidential and the sensible exceptions
- Security expectations and incident contacts
- Controller and processor roles where personal data is involved
- Insurance requirements
- Warranties, indemnities and any liability cap
- Subcontractor permission and responsibility
Termination and disputes
- Termination for breach and a cure period
- Termination for convenience and notice
- Payment for work completed and committed costs
- Return or deletion of information and access
- Handover obligations
- Governing law, courts or agreed dispute process
Pre-signing conversation
- Can both sides describe the finished deliverables?
- Who decides that work is accepted?
- What changes the price or date?
- When is payment late?
- What may each side do with the work?
- How does the project end safely?
Sources
- GOV.UK: Late commercial payments
- UK Intellectual Property Office: Ownership of copyright
- ICO: When is a controller-processor contract needed?
Sources were checked on 7 September 2026. External information can change.
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