Independent Contractor Agreement

California Independent Contractor Agreement – Protect Your Freelance Work

Hiring a freelancer or contractor? A written agreement clarifies scope of work, payment terms, deadlines, and who owns the finished work. Without it, disputes are common — who owns the deliverable, when payment is due, and what happens if the project ends early.

An independent contractor agreement sets clear expectations for both sides. It’s also worth knowing: California uses a specific “ABC test” (under AB 5) to determine whether someone is legally an independent contractor or an employee — a contract label alone doesn’t decide this, so it’s worth understanding how your working relationship fits before finalizing any agreement.

What an independent contractor agreement includes:

• Client and contractor names and addresses
• Description of services and compensation
• Payment schedule and project term
• Termination notice period
• Independent contractor status clause
• Confidentiality and ownership-of-work terms

Create your agreement in about 10 minutes for $19.

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Client Full Name / Company *

Client Address *

Contractor Full Name / Company *

Contractor Address *

Description of Services *

Describe the specific work the Contractor will perform. e.g. “Design and development of a company website, including up to 3 rounds of revisions.”

Compensation Amount ($) *

Payment Schedule *Upon CompletionWeeklyBi-WeeklyMonthlyMilestone-Based

Start Date *

Format: Month Day, Year

End Date / Term *

A specific date, or e.g. “completion of the project” / “ongoing until terminated”

Termination Notice Period *

e.g. “14 days”

Additional Terms (optional)None.

e.g. confidentiality, ownership of work product, non-compete restrictions. Leave blank if none.

Date of Agreement *

Format: Month Day, Year

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