Boilerplate
Force majeure
Force majeure covers what happens when something outside anyone's control, like serious illness or an infrastructure failure, stops the work. A fair clause protects both sides equally by pausing deadlines rather than treating the disruption as a breach. Check it is not written to shield only the client.
What to look for
Whether the contract excuses delay or non-performance caused by events outside a party's control, and whether that protection is mutual. Watch for clauses that protect only the client, or that let the client withhold payment while still holding the freelancer to deadlines during a genuine emergency.
How Clause rates it
RedNo force-majeure protection for the freelancer (so illness, outages or disasters can still count as breach), or a one-sided clause protecting only the client.
AmberA force-majeure clause that is narrow, one-sided in effect, or unclear on what happens to payment and timelines during the event.
GreenA mutual clause suspending obligations for events genuinely beyond a party's control, with extended deadlines and a right to terminate if the disruption runs on too long.
Wording you can ask for
Suggested redline
Neither party is liable for failure or delay caused by events beyond its reasonable control. The affected party shall notify the other promptly, and deadlines shall be extended accordingly. If the event continues for more than [30] days, either party may terminate on written notice.
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