A TermScore is an AI-generated risk rating from 0 to 100 that evaluates the fairness and risk level of any legal document. A score of 86-100 means the contract is highly favorable, while 0-30 indicates dangerous terms you should walk away from.

What types of documents can TermScore analyze?

TermScore analyzes any legal document including freelance contracts, employment agreements, residential leases, NDAs, brand sponsorship deals, SaaS vendor agreements, and rental applications. Upload PDFs, Word documents, or images.

How much does TermScore cost?

TermScore offers a free plan with 3 scores per month. The Team plan is $15/month for 30 scores, and the Professional plan is $50/month for 500 scores with team collaboration features.

Is my document data secure?

Yes. Documents are processed in memory and analysis results are stored encrypted. TermScore never shares your document data with third parties and you can delete your data at any time from your dashboard.

What are the essential clauses for a freelance service agreement?

Essential clauses include Scope of Work, Intellectual Property Assignment, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality, Termination for Convenience, and Indemnification.

How do I protect my agency from freelance IP theft?

Ensure the contract contains a 'Work Made for Hire' provision and an express assignment of all rights, title, and interest in the deliverables to the agency upon payment.

Why is a non-solicitation clause critical for agencies?

It prevents freelancers from bypassing the agency to work directly with your clients, protecting your revenue stream and client relationships.

What clauses should be in a freelance service agreement for agencies?

A robust freelance service agreement for agencies must include explicit Intellectual Property (IP) assignment, non-solicitation, clear scope of work, and termination for convenience clauses. These provisions protect your agency’s assets, client relationships, and operational flexibility when scaling with external talent.

Core Contractual Pillars for Agencies

Agencies operate on thin margins and high-stakes client deliverables. Your freelance agreements must act as a firewall between your agency and potential liability or revenue loss.

1. Intellectual Property (IP) Assignment

Never rely on implied ownership. Your contract must state that all work created is a "work made for hire" under the Copyright Act. If the work does not qualify, the freelancer must provide an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide assignment of all rights to the agency upon receipt of payment.

Ownership Trigger: Explicitly state that ownership transfers only upon full payment.
Moral Rights: Include a waiver of "moral rights" to ensure the agency can modify work without freelancer consent.

Key takeaway: If the contract lacks an "assignment of rights" clause, the freelancer technically owns the copyright to the work they produced for your client.

Action Item: Audit your current templates to ensure they contain the phrase "assigns all right, title, and interest" rather than just "grants a license."

2. Non-Solicitation and Non-Circumvention

Agencies are vulnerable to freelancers "poaching" clients. A non-solicitation clause prevents the freelancer from contacting your clients for similar services for a period of 12 to 24 months post-contract.

Clause Type	Purpose	Recommended Duration
Non-Solicitation	Prevents poaching of clients	12-24 Months
Non-Circumvention	Prevents bypassing agency fees	12-24 Months
Non-Compete	Restricts direct competition	6-12 Months (Jurisdiction dependent)

Action Item: Ensure your non-solicitation clause includes a specific "liquidated damages" provision to make enforcement easier if a breach occurs.

Operational and Financial Safeguards

3. Scope of Work (SOW) and Change Orders

Scope creep is the primary cause of agency-freelancer disputes. The agreement should reference an attached SOW that defines deliverables, deadlines, and acceptance criteria.

Define the exact number of revisions (e.g., 2 rounds).
Establish a "deemed acceptance" period (e.g., 5 business days) if the agency fails to provide feedback.
Outline the hourly rate for work outside the original scope.

Action Item: Always require a signed Change Order for any task that deviates more than 10% from the original SOW budget.

4. Termination for Convenience

Agencies need the ability to pivot quickly. A termination for convenience clause allows you to end the relationship with 7 to 14 days' written notice, provided you pay for work completed up to the termination date.

Key takeaway: Avoid "termination for cause only" clauses. They trap your agency in unproductive relationships when client needs change suddenly.

Action Item: Review your termination clause to ensure it explicitly states that the freelancer must return all agency data and assets within 48 hours of notice.

Risk Mitigation and Indemnification

5. Indemnification and Liability

Your agency is liable for the work you deliver to clients. Your freelancer must indemnify the agency against claims of copyright infringement, defamation, or breach of contract caused by their work.

Insurance Requirements: Require freelancers to maintain professional liability (Errors & Omissions) insurance if the contract value exceeds $10,000.
Limitation of Liability: While you want the freelancer to be liable, ensure your own liability to the freelancer is capped at the total fees paid under the agreement.

Action Item: Check that your indemnification clause covers "third-party claims" specifically, as this is where most agency litigation originates.

Finalizing Your Agreement

Managing these clauses manually across dozens of freelancers is prone to human error. TermScore allows you to automatically analyze your freelance service agreements against these standards, flagging missing IP assignments or weak non-solicitation language in seconds so you can scale your agency with confidence.