Contracts and other paper work for graphic designers?

[definitive]

Anyone have any suggestions and links for contacts between designer/client when working freelance? What kind of paper work is necessary, and what to look out for, etc.?

no one here works with contracts?

 

[jhead]

Contracts/Legal Ease

Beyond an hourly rate ... my experience in creating "scope-of-work" proposals, creative briefs, and payment contracts have led many potential clients to investigate their own expectations -- sometimes they happily return and sometimes they never call again.

Generally, I've found freelance legal forms reveal who is serious about professional fees/payment and also who is going to be a serious PIA for payment.

Here are a couple links that may help:
http://www.creativepublic.com/pricing_your_projects.php
http://www.creativelatitude.com/links/resources_downloads.html
http://www.creativelatitude.com/links/links_business_forms.html
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/professional-resources -- membership req.

Though dated -- the book: Business & Legal Forms for Graphic Designers by Tad Crawford may also assist you search for professional forms and legal.

In addition to these links above, I do encourage wording for any freelance contract to include: "final file ownership", "kill fees", "scope slip", and "client-side deadlines".