Freelancer contract: guide and template

The freelancer's most important business document

You are good at what you do. You find clients, deliver the work and send the invoice. But what happens when the client changes the scope halfway through? Or does not pay? Or suddenly wants to use your work for purposes that were not agreed?

Without a written freelancer contract, your only defence is your memory against the client's memory. That is not a fight you want to have.

A freelancer contract does not just protect you legally, it professionalises your relationship with the client and creates clarity from the start. It is one of the most underestimated business tools for the self-employed.

Freelancer contract vs. consultancy agreement vs. cooperation agreement

The terms are often used interchangeably in Denmark, but there is a difference:

Freelancer contract / consultancy agreement: an agreement between you (as a self-employed supplier) and a business to carry out a specific assignment. You are not employed, you invoice as self-employed. The term "consultancy agreement" is the most formal, but the content is the same as a freelancer contract.

Cooperation agreement: typically used for more equal partnerships, for example two freelancers collaborating on an assignment, or two businesses sharing customers or resources. See our guide to cooperation agreements.

This guide focuses on the classic freelancer scenario: you deliver services to a business or private client as a self-employed person.

What must your freelancer contract contain?

1. The parties

Your full name (or company name), address and CVR number. The client's full name (or company name), address and CVR number (or CPR number for private clients).

Be precise. "Mikkelsen Consulting" is not enough, it must be clear whether it is a sole proprietorship with a CVR number, or whether Mikkelsen is acting privately.

2. Description of the assignment (scope of work)

This is the most important section of the contract. Write concretely and specifically:

• What do you deliver? (Not "we help with marketing", but "we produce 4 blog articles of about 1,000 words per week for 3 months")
• What is the delivery format? (PDF, Google Doc, Figma file, etc.)
• What is not included? (Revisions beyond 2 rounds, publishing, translation, etc.)

A vague description of the assignment is an invitation to scope creep, where the assignment quietly grows while the fee stays the same.

3. Timetable and deadlines

• Start date
• End date or ongoing agreement
• Sub-milestones and delivery dates
• What happens if the client causes delay (for example does not provide materials in time)?

The clause on the client's delay is underestimated. If the client does not deliver the brief material by day 1, who then bears the consequence of the delayed delivery?

4. Fee and payment terms

State clearly:

• Hourly rate, daily rate or fixed project price
• Is the price excluding or including VAT? (Remember: if your VAT-liable turnover is over DKK 50,000 within 12 months, you must register for VAT)
• The invoicing plan (on start, at a milestone, monthly, on delivery)
• The payment deadline (typically 14 to 30 days net)
• The consequences of late payment: interest and possibly a reminder fee

Tip: Consider asking for a deposit (typically 25 to 50%) at the start of the project. It secures your liquidity and filters out non-serious clients.

5. Revisions and changes

State clearly how many revision rounds are included in the price. Extra revisions are invoiced at the hourly rate. Set clear boundaries for what counts as a revision (correcting factual content) versus a new assignment (changing the scope).

6. Intellectual property

This is one of the most overlooked points in freelancer contracts.

As a rule, you own the copyright to what you create, unless otherwise agreed. This means:

• The client can use your work for the agreed purpose
• But the client cannot sell it, modify it or use it for other purposes, unless you give permission

For most freelancers it is appropriate to transfer the rights to the client for payment, but write it down. State:

• That all rights to the deliverables are transferred to the client on full payment
• Any limitations: only for use in Denmark, only for a period, etc.

If you sell the same work to several clients (for example stock photos or reusable templates), you should explicitly keep the rights and only grant a licence.

7. Confidentiality

Use a confidentiality clause that protects:

• The client's trade secrets that you get access to during the collaboration
• The existence of the project (if the client wants secrecy)

You can include this as a clause in the contract or attach a separate NDA.

8. Termination

• What is the notice period? (2 to 4 weeks is typical for freelancers)
• What does the client pay if they break off the project halfway? (You should have the right to payment for work done and possibly compensation for the break-off)
• What happens to the intellectual property on termination?

9. Liability and insurance

• What are the consequences if you deliver late or incorrectly?
• State a limitation of liability (for example that your liability is limited to the size of the fee)
• Do you have professional liability insurance? State it, it strengthens trust

10. Choice of law and venue

State that Danish law applies and that disputes are decided by the Danish courts. If the client is foreign, this is especially important.

The 5 mistakes that cost freelancers the most money

Mistake 1: No written agreement It is still the most frequent mistake. Email threads are not a contract. It is your word against the client's.

Mistake 2: An unclear scope description The client understands "website" as something quite different from you. Be specific: the number of subpages, functionality, content, language, hosting.

Mistake 3: No VAT on the invoice (when you should) If your VAT-liable turnover is over DKK 50,000 within 12 months and you forget VAT, it is your loss, the client cannot simply be charged afterwards. Register for VAT in time.

Mistake 4: No clause on delay from the client's side The client delivers the brief 3 weeks late but still expects delivery on the agreed date. Include a clause that the deadline is postponed accordingly on the client's delay.

Mistake 5: No termination clause with compensation The client breaks off the project halfway. What do they pay? Without a clause: only what has actually been delivered. With a good clause: what has been delivered plus a termination compensation.

Freelancer and tax: what you need to know

As a self-employed person (sole proprietorship) you pay tax on the business's profit (not on the turnover):

• Your personal income tax on the profit (marginally up to about 56% for the highest incomes)
• Labour-market contribution (8%)
• VAT (25%), if your VAT-liable turnover is over DKK 50,000 within 12 months

As a self-employed person you are not covered in the same way as an employee by:

• The Holiday Act (you do not accrue holiday via an employer)
• Employer-paid pay during illness (you can instead get municipal sickness benefit, typically after 2 weeks' illness, and you can take out a voluntary sickness-benefit insurance for earlier cover)
• Employer-paid parental leave (you can get parental benefit under the rules)
• The Salaried Employees Act and its notice periods

Price yourself higher accordingly: a freelancer with an hourly rate of DKK 700 does not have the same real economy as an employee on DKK 700 an hour.

The freelancer contract and the employee-vs-self-employed rules

A risk many freelancers are not aware of: if you in reality function as an employee (work exclusively for one business, follow their rules and working hours, use their equipment), the tax authorities can redefine the relationship as employment.

The consequence can be that the business is charged A-tax and labour-market contribution afterwards, and that your invoiced VAT must be adjusted.

To avoid this: have several clients, work on your own terms and with your own equipment, and let your contract reflect your independence.

Create your freelancer contract with LegalDock

LegalDock offers a complete consultancy-agreement template that covers all the above points, from scope and fee to rights and termination. The template is adapted to Danish rules and takes a short time to complete.