Direct answer
Confirm the parties and effective dates, clear scope and deliverables, payment amount and due dates, expenses, IP ownership and portfolio rights, confidentiality length, termination and kill fee, liability caps, insurance, dispute venue, and whether the control terms look like employment. Upload the PDF to Contract Checked for a clause-level plain-English pass before you sign.
Last reviewed November 2026
Checklist
Parties and relationship
Legal names, notices addresses, and an explicit independent-contractor statement (still not decisive for tax/labor tests).
Scope and changes
Deliverables, timeline, revision rounds, and how change requests are priced.
Money
Fees, deposits, milestones, invoicing, late payment, expenses and taxes (you usually handle your own).
IP and publicity
When ownership transfers, what is excluded (tools, preexisting IP), and whether you may show the work.
Confidentiality / non-solicit / non-compete
Duration and scope; California generally voids employment non-competes.
Termination
Notice periods, payment for work in progress, and wind-down of access to systems.
Liability and insurance
Indemnity direction, caps, and any required insurance types and limits.
Dispute process
Governing law, venue, arbitration or court, and fee-shifting.
How Contract Checked helps
Upload your document and get a plain-English report: risk ratings on specific clauses, protections that are missing, and the questions to ask before you sign. Then ask follow-up questions about your own document. You see the credit cost before anything runs.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need a W-9?
US clients commonly request Form W-9 and may issue Form 1099-NEC for amounts paid. A tax professional can advise on your situation.
Is this legal advice?
No. Contract Checked gives general information and an AI reading of your document. It does not create an attorney-client relationship. For a dispute or a decision with a lot of money at stake, talk to a licensed attorney or a local tenant or worker organization.
Can Contract Checked review my document?
Yes. Upload a PDF, Word file, pasted text or a photo. Sign up free for starting credits; you see the credit cost before anything runs. The report is plain English and is not legal advice.