Contracts: What Freelancers Need to Know

Rob and Sara discuss when Freelancers need contracts in place. Sara, a lawyer, refrains from giving legal advice, but generally provides educational background on mistakes she sees business owners make. Relying too heavily on the title of an agreement is a common mistake, signing things without reading them or understanding them, not having any contract in place, having the wrong terms in place, and other common mistakes. Assume the documents are meant to trick you. Clients who pull documents off the internet sometimes don't realize they're using terms that are unfavorable to them. At bare minimum you want to lay out the payment terms, milestones, statement of work, etc. in writing. Having someone promise not to infringe on other people's copyrights is important. Sticking to workflows and processes is ideal as you navigate your way through contracts. Failing to assign intellectual property can be a sword or shield. Rob discusses the freelancer-protective laws recently enacted by New York City. Sara certainly recommends having a lawyer review your engagement agreements or anything else you're sending out to multiple people. Rob accidentally refers to the Gutenberg press as the "Glutenberg." Rob notes that people take him more seriously when he sends an agreement because it shows he's taking himself more seriously. Rob describes places where his clients have pushed back on his agreement. Sara says you need a contract before you go into business with people, before you hire someone, and before you do work for someone. Sara also makes her recommendations about finding a lawyer who will be fair to you. Sara then explains how lawyers charge their clients. They then discuss how to get the most out of your attorneys and ways to use a lawyer's time efficiently.

• UpCounsel
• Meet the Parents - IMDb
• Freelancing Isn't Free Act