For UK freelancers

Freelance contract template for UK freelancers

Set out scope, fees, revisions and IP before you start the work. Drafted for UK law, editable in plain English, and signable in minutes.

4.9
|eIDAS · ESIGN · UETA aligned|Free to start

Who it's for

Built for the people who actually use it

Solo freelancers

Lock in deliverables, revisions and payment dates before day one.

Contractors

Clear outside-IR35 style working practices and substitution wording.

Anyone chasing invoices

Statutory late payment interest and kill fees written in as standard.

What's in the contract

Every clause you actually need

Drafted in plain English by AI, jurisdiction-aware, editable line-by-line. No legalese unless you want it.

Scope of work

Exactly what is delivered, what is out of scope, and how change requests work.

Fees & payment terms

Day rate, fixed fee or milestones, with invoice dates and payment windows.

Late payment interest

8% above Bank of England base rate under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

Intellectual property

IP assigns on payment, with a licence back for your portfolio.

Revisions & kill fee

Included rounds of amends and what you're paid if the project is pulled.

Confidentiality

Mutual confidentiality so you rarely need a separate NDA.

Termination & notice

How either party exits cleanly and what is owed on exit.

Governing law

England & Wales by default, switchable to Scotland or Northern Ireland.

How it works

From blank page to signed PDF in 3 steps

Describe in plain English

Tell SigningVault who's involved and what you're agreeing. The AI drafts the right contract with the right clauses.

Tweak in seconds

Edit any line, swap clauses, change jurisdiction. Add signature fields with a click.

Send & sign

Recipients get a private signing link by email. They sign in-browser — no account, no app. You both get the sealed PDF.

Legal & compliance

Is a freelance contract legally binding in the UK?

Yes. Under English law a contract is formed by offer, acceptance, consideration and an intention to create legal relations — it does not need to be witnessed or notarised. A written freelance agreement signed electronically by both parties is enforceable in the county court and in the small claims track.

Signatures captured on SigningVault are Simple Electronic Signatures under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and the UK eIDAS Regulation. Every signature is stored with the signer's name, email, IP address and a UTC timestamp in a tamper-evident audit trail, so the agreement stands up if it is ever challenged.

  • Legally binding in England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
  • Tamper-evident audit trail with IP address and UTC timestamp
  • Signed PDF and certificate of completion for both parties
  • Fully editable — change any clause before you send it

FAQ

Common questions

Do I need a solicitor for a freelance contract in the UK?+

No. Most freelance engagements are commercial contracts between two businesses, and there is no requirement for legal representation. SigningVault drafts the clauses UK freelancers actually need and lets you edit every word before sending.

Is this freelance contract template free?+

Yes — drafting and editing is free. Sending for legally binding eSignature is included on the Professional and Business plans from £9.99 per month.

Does it cover IR35?+

The template includes working practices wording — substitution, control and mutuality of obligation — that supports an outside-IR35 position. Status determination remains the end client's responsibility for medium and large businesses.

Can I charge interest on late invoices?+

Yes. UK businesses have a statutory right to claim interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate plus fixed compensation, and the template includes that clause by default.

Draft yours in under 60 seconds

No credit card. No templates to wade through. Just describe the agreement and SigningVault writes it.