Freelancers Union Contract Creator

What it is

Freelancers Union is a US non-profit for independent workers. Its Contract Creator is a free web form that turns your answers into a Freelance Work Agreement between you and a client. For a direct freelancer with no platform in the middle, a written agreement is the main protection you have, and this tool makes a first one quick to produce.

What the form asks you to decide

Working through it is itself a good lesson in what to agree before starting:

• Your details and the client's details.
• Scope of work: start and end dates, each service, the rate and whether it is a flat fee, per hour, per day, per item or per word.
• Payment: the total, whether you require a deposit (an amount or a percentage), when payment is due (on receipt, 7, 15 or 30 days, or custom) and milestones with dates and amounts.
• Optional clauses you can include: late fee, retainer, cancellation fee, kill fee, ownership of the final product, indemnification, dispute resolution, expense reimbursement, revisions and changes, confidential information, a non-disclosure agreement and independent contractor status.

Who it suits, and the limits

It suits small direct projects where you currently agree everything over chat. The form is built for the US: addresses use US state lists and the wording reflects US practice. If you live or work elsewhere, use it as a checklist and draft, then adapt the wording to your country, and for large or risky contracts ask a local lawyer. It is not a substitute for legal advice.

On Upwork or Fiverr you do not need a separate contract for most work, because the platform terms apply; your job there is to write a clear scope into the contract or order. The clauses in this tool are still worth reading, because they are exactly the questions scope disputes turn on.

How to use it well

1. Fill it in after the discovery call, when you know the scope.
2. Keep the scope specific: deliverables, what is not included, what the client provides and how revisions work.
3. Ask for a deposit on every new direct client.
4. Tie ownership of the work to full payment.
5. Send it with a short friendly note and ask the client to reply with any changes before signing.

Common questions

Is it really free? The site presents it as free to use.

Is it legally binding? A signed agreement generally is, but enforceability depends on local law, which is why local adaptation matters.

Alternatives? Paid plain-English templates such as Contract Killer, or a local lawyer's template.

Source: freelancersunion.org/contract, read 2026-09.