---
title: "Freelance contract template in plain language"
description: "Free freelance contract template with eight plain-language clauses: scope, payment, deposit, ownership, revisions, termination, liability, governing law."
canonical: "https://www.meadowdesk.com/tools/freelance-contract-template"
last_modified: "2026-10-27"
---

# Freelance contract template

Source: https://www.meadowdesk.com/tools/freelance-contract-template

Free freelance contract template with eight plain-language clauses: scope, payment, deposit, ownership, revisions, termination, liability, governing law.

A plain-language agreement with the eight clauses that protect independent work. Fill in five details, copy it, then have a professional look it over.

## How to use it

1. Add your name or studio, the client, the fee, your payment terms and the state or country whose law applies.
2. Copy the agreement and attach your proposal or scope of work.
3. Have a lawyer review it once, then reuse it for every client.

## Freelance contract template FAQ

**Is this contract legally binding?**
A signed agreement generally is, but the law varies by place. This is a starting point, not legal advice, so have it reviewed before you rely on it.

**Do I need a contract for small jobs?**
Yes. Even a one-page agreement settles scope, price and payment before anyone gets annoyed.

**What should a freelance contract include?**
At minimum: what you’ll deliver, the fee and when it’s due, who owns the work, how changes are handled and how either side can end it.

**Can my client sign it online?**
Paste it into any e-signature tool, or send it from Meadow Desk, where your client e-signs and you countersign.

**Who owns the work before it’s paid for?**
In this template, you do. Ownership of the final deliverables passes to your client once the invoice is paid in full, and you keep the right to show the work in your portfolio. Change that clause if your client needs ownership sooner.