Draft a Freelancer Contract for a One-Off Project
Use this as your opening prompt to generate a first draft of a contractor agreement. Fill in the bracketed fields with your specific project details before sending.
The Prompt
You are helping me draft a simple independent contractor agreement for a one-off project. I am not looking for legal advice — I need a plain-language, professionally structured contract draft I can review and customize. Here is the context: - My business: [Business name], a [business type] incorporated in [state] - Contractor: [Contractor name], providing [type of work] - Deliverables: [Specific deliverables] - Deadline: [Date] - Payment: [Amount], paid [schedule — e.g., 50% on signing, 50% on delivery] - IP ownership: All work product is owned by my business upon payment in full - Confidentiality: Yes, include a standard NDA clause protecting my business information - Termination: Either party may terminate with [X] days written notice; contractor is paid for work completed to that date - Governing law: [Your state] Please draft a contractor agreement with these five sections: (1) Scope of Work, (2) Payment Terms, (3) Intellectual Property / Work-for-Hire, (4) Confidentiality, (5) Termination. Keep language plain but legally structured. Include a signature block for both parties.
From the guide
Using AI to draft a simple freelancer or contractor agreement for one-off projects without paying a lawyer every time →Related Prompts
Add California AB5 Independent Contractor Classification Language
Add this instruction to your initial prompt or as a follow-up if your business operates in California, where AB5 requires contracts to clearly support independent contractor status under the ABC test.
Add New York Freelance Isn't Free Act Compliance Language
Add this instruction to your initial prompt or as a follow-up if your business operates in New York and the contract value meets the $800 threshold covered by the Freelance Isn't Free Act.
Add Independent Contractor Tax Status Clause
Use this follow-up prompt to add IRS-compliant language that clearly distinguishes the contractor from an employee, reducing misclassification risk.
Strengthen Termination Clause with Pro-Rated Payment
Use this follow-up prompt to strengthen the termination clause so it specifies exactly how partial payment is calculated if the project is cancelled before completion.