Payment
Payment schedule and due dates
This clause decides exactly when the money lands in your account and what has to happen first. Vague triggers like 'on completion' or 'when the client is happy' let a client stall indefinitely, so a fixed number of days from your invoice is commonly seen as fairer. Deposits and milestone payments are widely used so you are never doing a lot of unpaid work up front.
What to look for
How much is due, when, and against what trigger. Look for the payment period (e.g. 14/30 days from invoice), whether payment is milestone-based or lump-sum, whether a deposit is required, and whether the due date is tied to a clear event (invoice date) rather than a vague one (client sign-off or client 'satisfaction').
How Clause rates it
Wording you can ask for
The Client shall pay each invoice in full within 30 days of the invoice date. A deposit of [30]% of the total fee is payable before work begins, with the balance invoiced on delivery. Payment is not conditional on the Client's satisfaction or on the Client receiving payment from any third party.
The UK angle
Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, if the contract is silent a private-sector debt is treated as late 30 days after the later of invoice receipt or delivery, and payment terms over 60 days must be fair to both sides to be enforceable.
See this on your own contract.
Paste your contract and watch these rules light up your own clauses.