I almost got sued because my contract didn't have a kill fee | Freelance Business Legal

Alex Coleman · 2026-03-12T09:05:08.276081+00:00

A client in Austin ghosted me halfway through a big website project, then came back 8 months later demanding the final files. My contract only said I'd get paid upon completion, so I had no way to bill for the 60 hours I'd already put in. A lawyer friend told me I should have had a clear clause for partial payment if the client ends the project early. Has anyone else had to add a kill fee after a bad experience?

smith.simon7mo ago

Disagree on needing a kill fee. A solid payment schedule upfront works better, right?

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burns.brooke6mo ago

Wow, I read a whole article about kill fees saving freelancers from this exact mess.

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faith7417mo ago

Sounds like a great way to work for free. A kill fee is just the cost of doing business, otherwise you're just donating your time. Hard lesson to learn the hard way.

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