Independent Contractor Agreement Template — Free & AI-Drafted

What Is an Independent Contractor Agreement?

An independent contractor agreement (also called a freelance contract) sets the terms for a single project between a client and a contractor who is not an employee. It defines the scope of work, payment terms, deadlines, who owns the finished work product, and confirms the contractor is responsible for their own taxes and benefits — the core document that protects both sides on a one-off engagement.

What's Included

• Scope of services
• Payment terms & schedule
• Intellectual property / work-product ownership
• Independent contractor status
• Confidentiality
• Termination
• California ABC-test language (if governing state is CA)
• State-aware non-compete guidance

Glossary

Independent Contractor

Someone hired to complete a specific job or project who controls how the work gets done, isn't on payroll, and handles their own taxes and benefits — legally distinct from an employee.

Work Product

Whatever the contractor actually creates — code, designs, written content, etc. Ownership of it (client or contractor) is a specific term the agreement has to spell out; it isn't automatic either way.

ABC Test

California's strict three-part test (Labor Code §2775) for whether a worker can legally be classified as a contractor rather than an employee. Getting it wrong exposes the hiring business to back taxes and penalties.

Scope of Work

The specific deliverables, tasks, and boundaries of the project — the single most common source of freelance disputes when it's left vague.

Net 30

A payment term meaning the invoice is due 30 days after it's issued. Common shorthand you'll see in the payment-schedule options.

Frequently asked questions