Payment
Deposit and kill fee (cancellation) protection
A kill fee makes sure you get paid for work you have already done if the client pulls the plug half-way through. Without one, a client can cancel after you have delivered most of the value and walk away owing little. A non-refundable deposit plus payment for completed work is the common way freelancers cover this.
What to look for
Whether an up-front deposit is non-refundable, and whether there is a 'kill fee' entitling you to be paid for work already done (and for lost time) if the client cancels the project part-way through.
How Clause rates it
RedClient can cancel at any time with no payment for work already completed, and any deposit is fully refundable on cancellation, so the freelancer can end up with nothing after real work.
AmberPayment for work done on cancellation exists but is vague ('a fair amount') or the deposit terms are unclear, leaving room for dispute.
GreenNon-refundable deposit plus a defined kill fee that pays for all work completed to date, and often a percentage of the remaining fee, if the client cancels.
Wording you can ask for
Suggested redline
The deposit is non-refundable once work has begun. If the Client cancels before completion, the Client shall pay for all work performed up to the cancellation date plus a kill fee of [25]% of the remaining fee, and any completed work will only be delivered once these sums are paid.
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