Update: I had a client push back hard on my standard 'kill fee' clause last month

I was drafting a contract for a website copy job, about $4,500 worth of work. My standard clause said if they canceled the project after I started, they'd owe 50% of the total fee. The client, a small business owner in Tampa, emailed me saying it was unfair and they'd only pay for hours logged. I held my ground, explaining that a kill fee protects me from losing other work I turned down for their slot. It got pretty tense for a week, with them threatening to walk. I finally sent a clear breakdown of my scheduling process and they signed, but it was a rough patch. Has anyone else had to defend a kill fee clause recently? How do you explain its value without sounding greedy?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlie19827d ago

Honestly, it's just a contract clause, not a peace treaty. You both got a little too worked up over some basic business protection. Next time maybe just tweak the percentage if they're that upset.

blairm7727d ago

We swapped the flat fee for a small yearly cap, which calmed things down fast.

riverb1327d ago

Actually, that yearly cap idea from Blair is a solid fix for the real issue here.