Contract

Between Matthew Jones and {{customer name}}

Summary

I'll always do my best to fulfil your needs and meet your expectations, but it's important to have things written down so that we both know what's what, who should do what and when, and what will happen if something goes wrong. In this contract, you won't find any complicated legal terms or long passages of unreadable text. I have no desire to trick you into signing something that you might later regret. I want what is best for both parties, now and in the future.

You ({{customer name}}), located at {{customer address}}, are hiring me (Matthew Jones), located at {{ address }}, to provide Software Development services.

What both parties agree to do

You have the authority to enter into this contract on behalf of yourself, your company or your organisation. You'll give me the assets and information I tell you I need to complete the project. You'll do this when I ask and provide it in the formats I need. You'll review my work, provide feedback and approval in a timely manner. Deadlines work two ways, so you'll also be bound by dates we set together. You also agree to stick to the payment schedule set out at the end of this contract.

I have the experience and ability to do everything I've agreed with you and I'll do it all in a professional and timely manner. I'll endeavour to meet every deadline that's set and I'll maintain the confidentiality of everything you give me.

The details

You'll have plenty of opportunities to review my work and provide feedback. I'll either share a Dropbox folder or GitHub repository with you and I'll be in regular, possibly daily, contact. If, at any stage, you're not happy with the direction my work is taking, you'll inform me and pay me in full for all time spent on your project until that point and cancel this contract.

Front End

I'll deliver web pages made up of HTML for structured content, CSS for presentation, and JavaScript for behaviour. If you're using a framework, I'll work in view layer of that. I'll work directly on your GitHub repository, if possible. I'll try to follow the principles of Progressive Enhancement, and build Mobile First, wherever possible.

Browser testing no longer means attempting to make a website look the same in browsers of different capabilities or on devices with different size screens. It does mean ensuring that a person's experience of a design should be appropriate to the capabilities of a browser or device. I test in a range of browsers, but where I spend the most time testing will depend on the devices that your visitors to your site use.

User experience

I'll discuss what your specific needs are and plan the "deliverables" accordingly. These might include reviews of your existing stuff and producing an informal report, making or updating Personas, or making or updating Journey Maps. I'll provide all the sources files, usually in Balsamiq or HTML, CSS, and JavaScript format.

Legal stuff

I can't guarantee that my work will be error-free and so I can't be liable to you or any third-party for damages, including lost profits, lost savings or other incidental, consequential or special damages, even if you've advised me of them. Finally, if any provision of this contract shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this contract and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

Copyrights

First, you guarantee that all elements of text, images or other artwork you provide are either owned by yourselves, or that you have permission to use them.

Then, when your final payment has cleared, copyright will be automatically assigned as follows:

You'll own the visual elements that we create for this project. I'll give you source files and finished files and you should keep them somewhere safe as I am not required to keep a copy. You own all elements of text, images and data you provided, unless someone else owns them.

I'll own the unique combination of these elements that constitutes a complete design and I'll license its use to you, exclusively and in perpetuity for this project only, unless we agree otherwise.

Where I contribute to an open-source project, I will complete the project's contributor agreement that makes our contribution fully compatible with the project's open licence.

Payment schedule

It is important as a freelance worker that you pay the invoices that I send you promptly. As per this contract, you agree to stick tight to the following payment schedule:

For project work

I'll invoice for a deposit before I begin any work. I only begin work once that invoice is paid. My payment terms are 7 days from the date of invoice for deposits and upon receipt for anything else.

For ongoing work

I'll invoice near the end of every month for any work completed up to that point. Since these invoices are for work completed, they are due upon receipt.

For both

I issue invoices electronically and accept payment by electronic transfer. I reserve the right to charge interest on all overdue debts at the rate of current repo rate + 3% per month or part of a month.

Technical support

I’m not a website hosting company so I don’t offer support for website hosting, email or other services relating to hosting. You may already have professional hosting; if you do, great. If you don’t, I can set up an account for you at one of my preferred hosting providers. I can set up your site on a server, plus any statistics software such as Google Analytics and I can provide a separate estimate for that. Then, the updates to, and management of that server will be up to you.

The small print

You can't transfer this contract to anyone else without our permission. This contract stays in place and need not be renewed. If for some reason one part of this contract becomes invalid or unenforceable, the remaining parts of it remain in place.

Although the language is simple, the intentions are serious and this contract is a legal document under exclusive jurisdiction of applicable courts.

Signed by and on behalf of Matthew Jones

Signed by and on behalf of {{ customer name }}

Date: **{{ date }}**

Everyone should sign above and keep a copy for their records.

Based heavily on the excellent Contract Killer

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