Hot take: The 'standard' client contract template from the big legal site is a trap
I tried using it for a new client in Austin and a simple dispute over late payment terms took me three weeks to sort out. The wording on the arbitration clause was so vague it basically gave them a free pass to stall. Has anyone else had to rewrite that whole section from scratch?
I read a blog post by a freelancer who called that template a "Trojan horse." They pointed out the force majeure clause was so broad a client could use a minor internet outage to delay payment for months. It made me go back and check my own.
My lawyer friend in Chicago said she spends half her time fixing that exact template. She told me the liability caps are a huge problem for service providers. It's basically designed to protect the platform, not the person using it.