Need help obtaining a freelance contract / set of terms and conditions please

[Speaky]

Hello to you all, and thanks in advance for taking the time to read this. I'll keep it short and sweet.

For the past two years, I have been working on and off as a freelance graphic designer mainly for a friend whose web design company is beginning to take off nicely. I feel it is now time for me to approach this career in 2005 in a much more professional way and would like to know where I can get hold of, or purchase, a rock-solid freelance design contract and/or set of terms and conditions which will protect me, come across as very professional and allow me to deal with clients other than friends and family. I would like these legal documents to be UK-centric since 99% of my work comes from there.

Can anyone recommend any sites that offer these very specific legal documents? To all you freelancers out there, where did you get yours from and how else do you protect yourself and 'do this right'?

Jesse

[D-Zine]

Hey Speaky,

I did a search on the forum and came up with this link for you. It has a link to a sample contract that you can get ideas from.

www.graphicdesignforum.com/default.aspx?f=8&m=55217&g=55327#m55327 (http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/default.aspx?f=8&m=55217&g=55327#m55327)

You can also check your local book stores.

good luck!

Power to the Oldschoolers

[Jeff Fisher LogoMotives]

How funny - that old thread has a link to my own contract that I often customize to fit specific clients.

You will also find a variety of design business documents to download at CreativeBusiness.com (http://www.creativebusiness.com/forms.lasso). There are more at CreativePublic.com (http://www.creativepublic.com/our_products.php).

Another great resource is the book 'Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Designers' by Tad Crawford and Eva Doman Bruck. It comes with a CD of business form templates.

- Jeff

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Jeff Fisher :: Engineer of Creative Identity
Jeff Fisher LogoMotives (http://www.jfisherlogomotives.com)

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Member - HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board :: HOW Design Conference Advisory Board

Author - 'The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career' - from HOW Design Books.

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[Speaky]

D-Zine, Jeff: thanks very much for your swift replies! I'll certainly check out those sites.

I've seen the about.com ones before and they are a good start, in fact I may have used ideas from them in my existing t+c (see link below). I'm after something so comprehensive and bullet-proof that it'll make clients sweat. I notice from the replies in that thread that it sounds like the designers themselves chop and change the contracts and rewrite it themselves. I would just worry that, for instance, I'd design a logo for a company which is then sued a year down the line by another company claiming copyright infringement and it would end up in the courts, and I'd be culpable because I wasn't covered by the small print. Doesn't this keep you lot awake at night? Here is my existing set of terms and conditions:

www.jessespeak.com/index.html?aud=for&style=basic&cat=trm&sub=non&pag=1 (http://www.jessespeak.com/index.html?aud=for&style=basic&cat=trm&sub=non&pag=1)

(and yes, not updated since late 2003 - was busy enough last year amazingly, new website in the works right now)

See how comprehensive I'm trying to be? Is this overkill, or am I sensible to cover myself to this extent?

Thanks again,

Jesse

[Jeff Fisher LogoMotives]

One thing I've done in the past is to add a clause that makes the client responsible for any trademark search/actual trademarking of a logo design.

- J.

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Jeff Fisher :: Engineer of Creative Identity
Jeff Fisher LogoMotives (http://www.jfisherlogomotives.com)

:: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Member - HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board :: HOW Design Conference Advisory Board

Author - 'The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career' - from HOW Design Books.

:: :: :: :: :: :: ::

[morea]

there are some links to contract samples in our frequently discussed topics section here:

http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7892

scroll down to the bottom.

[Weecutz]

Could this contract be used for Liscensing Images to someone, or does anyone know of a better one?

[Rtisticguy]

I came across this thread also looking for an iron clad Terms and Conditions statement that covers all bases. Because I offer services in many mediums it would have to be generic in nature but also be specific as far as responsibility for use of work and copyright issues.
Can anyone help me or point me in the right direction.
Thanks
Stephen
:cool:

[GraphixNPrint]

Wow... this one was resurected from the GDF graveyard.

Stephen, Morea is our librarian... she can find anything on here if it exists, and should be by shortly to guide you in the right direction.

[morea]

Stephen, you really need to discuss these things with a lawyer. No advice that we can provide is a substitute for that.

If you'd like more information, do feel free to check out our frequently discussed topics (http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33048) thread, which has some links to some sample freelance contracts.

[Rtisticguy]

Thanks Morea,
I appreciate the speedy reply!
I think I have found one after doing some extensive googling. Seems to cover all the bases but I will have to taylor to my own vast array of services.
Under your excellent advice I will have the final terms and conditions checked out by a lawyer before I publish my website of which I am just starting to build.
However if you dig anything up let me know as I can allways modify what I have.
Happy to join this group and have access to your resources.
Thanks
Stephen
:)