Freelancers and independent contractors must wear multiple hats. I was pleased to wear or at least try on the majority of them. Despite the fact that the life of a freelancer is filled with frequent contract execution and renegotiation, I have always managed to avoid legal obligations.
Nonetheless, I never truly contemplated seeking legal counsel. I’d simply draught my own contracts, sprinkling in legalese like “herein” and “thereafter,” and hope for the best. When you operate in a one-person firm (or even two or three), creating these sorts of paperwork and agreements may be a huge time drain. Does this sound familiar?
Let’s be honest: legal “something” is pricey and riddled with language that I’d rather not spend time deciphering. Furthermore, it was tough to locate a lawyer who I thought understood what I was doing and who could work within my limited budget. I’m not exactly the kind of company owner who attracts the attention of attorneys. Attorneys don’t exactly make me feel loved, if you know what I mean.
It’s not that these attorneys didn’t want to assist me, but it was more of a hassle than a benefit. My fears, like those of so many freelancers and small companies, were usually fleeting, and I was really concerned about my bill.
I utilised these docs hundreds of times as my company evolved over time. I dreaded every time I had to use one of my handmade templates for an agreement or SOW because of my lousy wording and inadequate protection. I imagined what might have occurred if things had gone wrong.
I’m not going to tell you about the time I was sued by a customer or when one of my partnerships went sour. Fortunately, I never had to go through it. Of course, that was conceivable. The truth is that I still required legal advice beyond a form paper – even just a little bit – to ensure I was on the right track and not screwing myself up. At the very least, I wanted to know what to watch out for and avoid. This may be more complicated in the field of software development than a general website can give.