My point is such that a "time bomb" of sorts would not be necessitated if the developer makes sufficient efforts to protect him/herself with good business pract

My point is such that a "time bomb" of sorts would not be necessitated if the developer makes sufficient efforts to protect him/herself with good business practices. That same client who pays on time and upholds his end of the agreement is left at risk through no fault of his own. Just doesn't seem fair in my opinion. Will a dispute happen even with well authored contracts and business plans? Absolutely, but properly scoping the work, delivering to a schedule and keeping open communication with the client will greatly minimize that risk.