Talk to a lawyer on the contract. A decent one should cost 2-300 bucks. Inevitably, there are wrinkles where the lawyer will be helpful (when a client wants to

Talk to a lawyer on the contract. A decent one should cost 2-300 bucks. Inevitably, there are wrinkles where the lawyer will be helpful (when a client wants to control exactly how the IP is assigned, for example). Most of the time you can use your boiler plate, but it's good to start a relationship with an attorney anyhow, so get one. That, and a good lawyer can explain to you why everything is in there, what you can afford to give up, and what you can't. Don't cheap out here. Another thing you might want to look into is creating an LLC or corporation. Again, the laywer has the right answer for you (Corp vs LLC vs nothing). I happen to use an single member LLC, which is set up as a disregarded entity for taxes. This shouldn't cost more than a few hundred dollars to set up either. I bill every two weeks. But I'm flexible depending on the client. This is not a big deal. If you're worried about getting paid, you should think twice about taking the client in the first place. Yes, write your billing and rates into the contract. Usually, there is an attached "Statement of Work", where you describe the scope of the project and billing arrangements in detail. Hourly vs. fixed price is a debate you can have over and over again. There are plusses and minuses for both you and the client to each billing scheme, so think it through. Often it depends on the scope of the project, the budget of the client, and (obviously) the trust between the two of you. The client will give you a 1099. Or they won't (they may not know they need to, or they forget). In either case, you'responsible for reporting your income properly. Check with an accountant to get the taxes right.