# Agree a statement of work and contract terms with a freelancer

A milestone-based statement of work plus the freelancer-specific terms to settle first: IP ownership, kill fee, licensing, and contractor status.

- Topic: HR & Hiring
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Legal, Write, Plan, Fill-in Template, Step-by-step
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/agree-a-statement-of-work-and-contract-terms-with-a-freelancer

## Prompt

```text
Draft a clear statement of work (SOW) for a freelancer or contractor, and a checklist of contract terms to agree. This is step 3 of the 'Hire and work with a freelancer' pack; paste the brief and chosen proposal from steps 1-2.

**Parties:** [MY BUSINESS and the freelancer]
**Project and deliverables:** [DETAILS]
**Timeline and milestones:** [DATES]
**Fee and payment schedule:** [e.g. "30% upfront, 70% on delivery"]
**Revision rounds included:** [NUMBER]
**My location and theirs:** [COUNTRIES/STATES]
**Earlier step output (optional):** [PASTE]

Return:
1. A statement of work: objectives, deliverables with acceptance criteria, out of scope, milestones and dates, my responsibilities (feedback turnaround, access), revision rounds, how change requests work, payment schedule tied to milestones, and communication plan.
2. A checklist of contract terms to agree, with a plain-English note on each: ownership of the work and IP transfer, confidentiality, licensing of third-party assets (fonts, stock, code libraries), termination and kill fee, late payment, liability, and independent-contractor status.
3. Classification guardrails: what to avoid so this stays a genuine contractor relationship (e.g. setting their hours, treating them like staff), with a reminder to check local rules.

This is general information, not legal advice. Mark clauses that need professional review as [LEGAL REVIEW], and don't invent terms specific to my jurisdiction.
```

## What to fill in

- MY BUSINESS and the freelancer
- DETAILS
- DATES
- e.g. "30% upfront, 70% on delivery"
- NUMBER
- COUNTRIES/STATES
- PASTE
- LEGAL REVIEW

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.