Legal Desire resources
Contract and agreement templatesPlain-English guides to 48 of the contracts businesses, freelancers, creators and landlords use most, with the key clauses explained. Each guide links to a lawyer-drafted, editable Word template from My Contract Lawyer, our contract template store.
A contract template is a pre-drafted agreement you fill in with your own names, dates, fees and terms. Legal Desire explains what each contract does and which clauses matter; the editable Word templates are sold by My Contract Lawyer, the template store run by the Legal Desire team, from $19 with instant download.
Business Setup & Ownership
Founders' Agreement
A founders' agreement is a contract between the people starting a company that records each founder's role, equity, vesting, IP contribution and what happens if someone leaves.
General Partnership Agreement
A general partnership agreement sets out each partner's capital contribution, share of profits and losses, management rights and the process for a partner joining, leaving or dying.
Shareholders' Agreement
A shareholders' agreement is a private contract between a company's shareholders that governs board control, decisions needing shareholder approval, share transfers, new share issues and exits.
Joint Venture Agreement
A joint venture agreement is a contract between two or more businesses that pool resources for a defined project or market while staying independent.
LLC Operating Agreement
An LLC operating agreement sets out the members and their ownership, capital contributions, whether the LLC is member-managed or manager-managed, voting, profit and loss allocations, transfers of interests, what happens on a member's withdrawal, death or disability, and dissolution.
Hiring & Employment
Employment Agreement
An employment agreement is the contract between an employer and an employee setting out the job, pay, hours, leave, probation, confidentiality, IP ownership, restrictions after leaving and how employment ends.
Job Offer Letter
A job offer letter is a short document offering a candidate a role and summarising the position, start date, salary, benefits and conditions such as background checks.
Employee Confidentiality & IP Assignment Agreement
An employee confidentiality and IP assignment agreement requires an employee to keep business information confidential and assigns to the employer the inventions, code, designs and content they create in the course of employment.
Non-Compete & Non-Solicitation Agreement
A non-compete and non-solicitation agreement restricts someone, usually a senior employee or the seller of a business, from competing, approaching clients or hiring away staff for a defined period and area after the relationship ends.
Internship Agreement
An internship agreement sets out the duration, schedule, learning objectives, supervision, stipend, confidentiality and IP terms of an internship.
Freelancers & Contractors
Independent Contractor Agreement
An independent contractor agreement is a contract between a business and a self-employed person or company that sets the services, fees, invoicing, IP ownership, confidentiality, liability and termination terms, and records that the contractor is not an employee.
Freelance Services Agreement (Client Contract)
A freelance services agreement is the contract a freelancer sends a client covering project scope, deliverables, revisions, fees, deposit, payment schedule, late fees, ownership on payment, cancellation and portfolio rights.
Consulting Agreement
A consulting agreement is a contract between a client and a consultant setting the scope of advice or services, fees by retainer, day rate or project, expenses, confidentiality, ownership of materials, non-solicitation, liability limits and termination.
Statement of Work (SOW)
A statement of work (SOW) describes a single project under an existing master services agreement: what will be delivered, milestones, timeline, acceptance criteria, fees and payment schedule, and the assumptions the price is based on.
Subcontractor Agreement
A subcontractor agreement is a contract between a main contractor or agency and a subcontractor who performs part of the client work.
Agencies & Client Services
Master Services Agreement (MSA)
A master services agreement (MSA) sets the legal terms for an ongoing client relationship: how statements of work are issued, fees, change control, confidentiality, IP, warranties, indemnities, liability caps and termination.
Marketing & Social Media Services Agreement
A marketing and social media services agreement covers the services an agency or freelancer provides, the monthly retainer and how ad spend is handled, client approvals, access to accounts, ownership of content, a no-guarantee-of-results clause, and termination and handover.
Website Design & Development Agreement
A website design and development agreement sets the project specification, milestones and payments, client content obligations, acceptance testing, ownership of the site and third-party components, hosting and maintenance, and the post-launch warranty period.
Monthly Retainer Agreement
A monthly retainer agreement sets the services or hours a client reserves each month, the fee, whether unused hours roll over, how out-of-scope work is billed, any minimum term and how the retainer ends.
White-Label Services Agreement
A white-label services agreement lets a reseller sell another provider's services or products under its own brand.
General Service Agreement
A general service agreement is a contract between a service provider and a customer covering the services, fees and payment, the customer's responsibilities, the standard of service, liability and insurance, and cancellation and termination.
Confidentiality & IP
Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
A mutual non-disclosure agreement is a contract in which two parties each agree to keep the other's confidential information secret and use it only for an agreed purpose, such as evaluating a partnership, investment or acquisition.
One-Way (Unilateral) NDA
A one-way (unilateral) NDA protects confidential information disclosed by one party to another.
Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement
An intellectual property assignment agreement transfers ownership of identified IP, such as copyright in code, designs or content, trademarks or inventions, from one party to another in exchange for consideration.
Copyright Licence Agreement
A copyright licence agreement gives permission to use a creative work, such as photos, music, video, artwork or text, on defined terms of media, territory, duration and exclusivity, without transferring ownership.
Trademark Licence Agreement
A trademark licence agreement lets a licensee use the owner's brand on specified products or services in a territory, subject to quality control, brand guidelines, royalties and reporting, with clear termination and sell-off rules.
Creators, Influencers & Fashion
Influencer & Brand Collaboration Agreement
An influencer and brand collaboration agreement sets the campaign deliverables, posting schedule, approval process, fees and gifting, usage rights for paid ads, exclusivity, ad disclosure requirements, a morality clause and termination.
Model Release Form
A model release form is signed by a person who appears in photos or video, granting the photographer or brand the right to use their image for agreed purposes and waiving related claims.
Photography Services Agreement
A photography services agreement covers the shoot details, fees, deposit and expenses, deliverables and turnaround, the licence the client gets in the images, cancellation and rescheduling, and the photographer's portfolio use.
Brand Ambassador Agreement
A brand ambassador agreement sets the term, the ambassador's duties, retainer and commission, exclusivity against competitors, the brand's right to use the ambassador's name and likeness, conduct standards and termination.
Talent Management Agreement
A talent management agreement sets the services a manager provides to a creator, model or artist, the commission rate and what income it applies to, the term and post-term sunset commission, the manager's authority to approve deals, expenses and termination.
Sales, Supply & Distribution
Sale of Goods Agreement
A sale of goods agreement is a contract between a business seller and buyer setting the goods and specifications, price and payment, delivery and when risk passes, when ownership transfers, inspection and rejection rights, warranties and liability limits.
Distribution Agreement
A distribution agreement appoints a distributor to buy and resell a supplier's products in a territory.
Supply Agreement
A supply agreement is a longer-term contract under which a supplier provides materials or products against forecasts and purchase orders.
Manufacturing Agreement
A manufacturing agreement is a contract between a brand and a contract manufacturer covering specifications and samples, minimum order quantities and lead times, quality control and inspection, IP and confidentiality, pricing, compliance and ethical sourcing, and liability.
Online Business & Tech
Website Terms of Service
Website terms of service are the rules users agree to when using a site, covering acceptance, accounts, acceptable use, intellectual property, third-party links, disclaimers, limitation of liability and how the terms change.
Website Privacy Policy
A website privacy policy explains what personal data a site collects, why, on what legal basis, which cookies and analytics it uses, who the data is shared with, international transfers, how long it is kept, users' rights and how to contact the owner.
SaaS Terms of Service
SaaS terms of service set the subscription and licence, fees, renewals and refunds, acceptable use, ownership and handling of customer data, service levels, suspension rights, liability caps and termination for a software-as-a-service product.
Data Processing Agreement (DPA)
A data processing agreement (DPA) is the contract required by Article 28 of the GDPR and UK GDPR between a controller and a processor.
Software Licence Agreement
A software licence agreement grants a customer the right to use software subject to restrictions on users and installations, sets fees, support and updates, warranties, confirms the developer keeps ownership and sets termination terms.
Property, Events & Personal
Bill of Sale
A bill of sale records the transfer of ownership of personal property from a seller to a buyer, with a description of the item, price and payment, the transfer of ownership, whether the item is sold as-is, the seller's title warranty and signatures.
Residential Lease Agreement
A residential lease agreement is a contract between a landlord and tenant for renting a home, covering the parties and property, term and renewal, rent and late fees, security deposit, utilities, use and occupancy, repairs, landlord entry, pets and smoking, and ending the lease.
Commercial Lease Agreement
A commercial lease agreement covers the premises and permitted use, term with break and renewal options, base rent with escalation and service charges, deposit or guarantee, fit-out and alterations, repairs, insurance and indemnity, assignment and subletting, and default and termination.
Sublease Agreement
A sublease agreement lets an existing tenant rent all or part of a property to a subtenant.
Liability Waiver and Release Form
A liability waiver and release form is signed by a participant before an activity.
Loans & Payments
Loan Agreement
A loan agreement records a loan's amount and purpose, interest, repayment schedule, prepayment rights, any security or guarantee, events of default and the lender's remedies.
Promissory Note
A promissory note is a signed written promise by a borrower to pay a lender a set amount, with or without interest, on demand or by a schedule, including late fees and what happens on default.
Payment Plan Agreement
A payment plan agreement sets out an outstanding balance, the instalment schedule, payment method, what happens if a payment is missed, and the debtor's acknowledgment of the debt.
Frequently asked questions
Are these contract templates free?
The guides on Legal Desire are free. The editable Word templates are sold on My Contract Lawyer, from $19, as a one-time purchase with instant download.
Who drafts the templates?
They are drafted and reviewed by lawyers on the team behind Legal Desire and Fashion Law Journal, in plain English and for international use.
Can I use them in the US, UK or EU?
Yes, they are written with placeholders for governing law and local details. Contract law differs between countries and states, so check the finished document against local law, especially for employment, consumer and property contracts.
Is a template a substitute for a lawyer?
No. A template is a starting point. For high-value or unusual deals, have a lawyer review the completed contract.
Templates are not legal advice and using one does not create a lawyer-client relationship. My Contract Lawyer is a Legal Desire Media and Consulting venture.