I am not a lawyer. So take this post with a grain of salt stamped all over the place with boilerplate “I’m not responsible if you’re nuts enough to think I know what I’m talking about legally” disclaimers.

But what’s so freaking hard about work-for-hire contracts?

As far as I’m concerned, a work-for-hire contract needs only these four (4) things:

1. What you (the worker) will do. In exact detail. As in everything.
   
2. What the client will do. In exact detail. As in everything again. Including how you’re going to be paid and for how much.
   
3. When all the above happens. As in exact dates or time measures (I prefer the former, but the latter works if you can anchor the counts precisely).
   
4. Signatures of both parties!!!

Now, was that so hard?

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Revisiting #4: What’s the point of getting it all written out in exact detail but not have the client sign it to physically acknowledge agreement to the terms of the contract? I have a few pals who’ve learned the hard way that without that signature, that contract’s worth about as much as the paper this blog’s printed on.

True, verbal contracts are binding. Technically. Here’s the part people tend to forget: Verbal contracts are binding… if you can prove them. Now the guy’s already lied and stiffed you. What do you think the chances are he’s going to tell the truth in court?

Exactly. Get the freaking signature before you do any work. At least you’ll have a fighting chance when push comes to shove.

A little addendum to #4: Depending on the scope of the work you’ll be doing, you’ll want to work in having your clients sign off on your work and your deliverables. The point here is to have the physical proof that you delivered what you said you would when you said you would, as physically attested to and accepted by the client.

Have fun!

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