The 5 documents every freelancer needs before taking on a new client

I've been freelancing long enough to learn this the expensive way: the clients who cause problems are almost always the ones where you skipped the paperwork. Here are the 5 documents that have saved me from disasters, in order of importance. 1. A proper contract Not a handshake. Not a "we'll sort the details later." A written agreement covering: Scope of work (what you're delivering, what you're not) Payment terms (when, how much, what happens if they don't pay) Revision limits IP ownership (who owns the work after delivery) Termination clause IR35 status (if you're in the UK) I use a free contract generator to build mine. Takes 5 minutes. 2. A detailed quote or proposal Break the project into phases with costs per phase. This does two things: Makes scope creep visible ("that wasn't in the quote") Lets clients see where their money goes I built a project quote calculator that handles the maths. 3. An onboarding document Send this after they say yes. It covers: What you need from them (