Before you start any piece of work, run through this list. If an item matters to the project and is not in writing, add it. If it truly does not matter, you can skip it, but you will have decided that on purpose.
- The parties. The full legal names of both sides and how to reach them.
- The scope. What you will do, and what you will not do.
- The deliverables. What exactly is handed over, in what form, and how the client accepts it.
- The timeline. Start date, milestones and the delivery date, and what each side must do to keep to them.
- The price. The total, the taxes, the payment schedule and what happens if a payment is late.
- Changes. How a request outside the scope is handled, and how it is priced.
- The client's part. Content, access, feedback and how quickly the client will respond.
- Revisions. How many rounds of changes are included.
- Ownership. Who owns the finished work, and from when. Whether you may show it in your portfolio.
- Confidentiality. What is private, and for how long.
- Ending early. How either side can stop, and what is paid if they do.
- Disagreements. How a dispute is handled, and which place's law applies.
- Signatures. Both sides sign and date, and each keeps a copy.
Finish the project with the same discipline: a signed closure document that confirms delivery, acceptance and that all payments are settled.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules on agreements and stamping differ by place and by case, so check what applies to you.
