The essentials
- Who the parties are. Full names, or the company name and number. Getting this wrong makes it harder to chase payment.
- The work. What you will deliver, in enough detail that a stranger could tell whether it's done. Say what is not included, too.
- Dates. When you start, any deadlines, and whether the agreement ends on a date or when the work is done.
- The fee. A fixed price, a day rate or an hourly rate, and whether VAT is on top.
- When and how you get paid. On completion, within 14 or 30 days of invoice, or in stages. A deposit if you want one.
The parts people forget
- Changes. How many rounds of changes are included, and what happens to the price and timing when the client asks for more.
- Ending early. How much notice either side gives, and what the client pays for work already done.
- Who owns the work. Often the client owns it once they've paid in full. Say whether you can show it in your portfolio.
- Confidentiality. If you'll see the client's private information.
- Liability. A sensible cap, usually linked to the fee, so one mistake can't ruin you.
- Late payment. For business clients, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 already lets you claim interest and a fixed sum for collection costs. Saying so in the contract reminds them.
- Which law applies. England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
If your client is a private person
Consumers get extra protection. If the contract is agreed away from your premises or online, they usually have a 14-day right to cancel, and you have to tell them about it and give them a cancellation form. If they want you to start within those 14 days, they need to ask you to, and if they then cancel they pay for what you've done so far. Some terms that are normal between businesses, like a tight cap on your liability, may not be fair or enforceable against a consumer.
Employment status
Calling someone a freelancer doesn't settle whether they are self-employed. Employment status, and the off-payroll working rules (IR35), depend on how the work is actually done: control, substitution and whether the work has to be offered and accepted. The contract should match reality, not paper over it.
Doing it on your phone
AgreeVia's free Freelance Services Agreement asks plain questions about the job, adds the consumer wording when your client is a private person, and lets you switch optional clauses on or off after reading them. Your client signs from a link, and you both get the signed PDF.
This guide explains the general position in the UK as we understand it on 10 October 2026. The law differs between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and it changes. If something important turns on it, talk to a solicitor.
Get to work
The Freelance Services Agreement template covers all of this, and it's free. Fill in the blanks and send it to sign.
Free for 3 documents a month, no card needed. AgreeVia works in your browser today, and iPhone and Android apps are coming soon.