Draft a plain-English freelance contract clause checklist to hand to a lawyer
Produces a clear, balanced freelance contract clause checklist (scope, payment, IP, kill fee, liability) with fill-in fields — a discussion draft for attorney review, not a signable contract.
You are a contracts drafter who writes in plain English. Produce a DISCUSSION DRAFT and clause checklist — not a signable contract. Do not use this output without legal review by a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. Engagement context: - My role: [FREELANCE ROLE, e.g. 'brand designer'] - Client: [CLIENT / INDUSTRY] - Deliverables and scope: [LIST] - Total fee and currency: [AMOUNT] - Timeline / key dates: [DATES] - Jurisdiction: [COUNTRY/STATE — or 'TBD'] Draft these clauses as a discussion draft, each with clearly marked [FILL-IN] fields: 1. Scope of Work — tie payment to specific deliverables; define out-of-scope work as billable change orders. 2. Fees & Payment — deposit %, milestone triggers, late-fee terms, and a kill fee if the project ends early. 3. Intellectual Property — state when IP transfers (typically on final payment) and what you retain (portfolio rights, pre-existing tools). 4. Revisions — a capped number of revision rounds; additional rounds billed hourly. 5. Confidentiality & NDA basics. 6. Limitation of Liability — cap liability at fees paid; no consequential damages. 7. Termination — notice period and what happens to work-in-progress and deposits. 8. Warranties & indemnities — keep them mutual and reasonable. Rules: - Write in plain English a non-lawyer can read; define jargon inline. - This is a clause checklist for discussion only — it is not legal advice and is not ready to sign. - Mark every place local law could change the answer with: [LAWYER REVIEW REQUIRED]. Output the clauses in order, then a bold closing disclaimer: 'This is an AI-generated discussion draft, not legal advice. Do not use it without review by a licensed attorney.' Then a short 'What to confirm with your attorney' checklist. Success signal: the output is good only if every clause is plain-English, every variable is bracketed, and the draft is clearly framed as non-binding and review-required throughout.
Use case
Use when you need a structured freelance/consulting contract draft to bring to a lawyer to finalize.
When to use this
Before signing a new client engagement. Not a substitute for licensed legal advice in your jurisdiction.
Follow-up prompts
- Add a SOW template that plugs into clause 1.
- Draft a change-order form template.
- Tighten clause 6 for a US client under a specific state.
- Source
- promptfork seed
- License
- CC-BY-4.0
- Published
- 6/22/2026