Benefits: This model independent contractor agreement is designed to help you draft a custom agreement that reflects your needs and situation. It includes all the essential elements of an independent contractor agreement, including a clear specification of the independent contractor relationship. If your worker is classified as an "employee," rather than an "independent contractor," you will be held liable for extra taxes, recordkeeping, and safety requirements. A contract can prevent this from happening by showing the validity of the independent contractor relationship.

Keep in mind that this document is a starting point, not a finished product. You need to make sure that the agreement reflects the relationship between your business and the independent contractor. Consult the laws of your state regarding requirements affecting independent contractor arrangements.

File Description: The file contains a five-page document in rich text format (RTF) that is suitable for use with most word processing programs used in the Windows environment.

Independent contractor agreement

For assistance on downloading a file, click here.

Special Features: The attached file contains a five-page draft independent contractor agreement that contains clearly labeled sections on the following areas of an independent contractor agreement:

• duties, compensation, and the term of the contract
• out-of-pocket expenses
• required reports
• statement of status as independent contractor, not employee
• termination of the relationship (because independent contractors are not employees, "termination" would be done according to the provisions of the contract)
• confidentiality
• inventions, improvements, and innovations conceived by the contractor during the term of the agreement
• conflicts of interest
• non-hire provision
• right to injunction
• status of contract in the event of merger
• successors and assigns
• statement of choice of law
• arbitration
• waiver
• assignment
• notices
• amendment of contract provisions
• enforceability

It also includes a sample appendix that can be used to spell out, in further and specific detail, the duties, term, and compensation.

For background information as well as information on related topics, see independent contractors.