cc by-sa
Don't
get
stiffed
Free legal armor for NYC creators. No ads. No signups. Yours to copy.
It's 2am and you're owed money
Didn't
get paid?
Three doors. Pick the one that hurts.
Free legal armor for NYC creators. No ads. No signups. Yours to copy. Three doors, pick the one that hurts.
Do this tonight
Hi [Name] — Following up on invoice #[000] for [$0,000], sent [date] for [project]. It was due [due date] and is now [00] days late. Under NYC's Freelance Isn't Free Act, payment is due by the date we agreed or within 30 days of my completing the work. Please confirm a payment date by [date]. Happy to resend the invoice if that helps. Thanks, [Your name]
You are probably still covered. Emails, DMs, a deposit, a delivered file, that's a deal.
And note: at $800+ the client is the one legally required to hand you a written contract. Not having one is their problem before it's yours.
01 / The law is on your side
Know your
rights rights
In New York City, if a client hires you for $800 or more of work, they owe you a written contract and full payment, on the date you agreed, or within 30 days of you finishing.
— The Freelance Isn't Free Act
The $800 catch
Under $800 and the written-contract rule doesn't kick in. But small jobs from the same client inside 120 days add up, three $300 gigs clears the bar. And either way, you are still owed the money.
02 / Pull-out contracts
Steal these
templates templates
One page each. Plain English. Fill in five blanks and send it before you start the job.
03 / Heard it before
Red flags,
roasted roasted
“We'll pay you after launch.”
Roast
Launch is not a payment term, a date is. “Net 15 from delivery.” Their timeline is not your cashflow.
“It'll be great exposure.”
Roast
Exposure has never once cleared rent on Myrtle Ave. Ask for the number, not the vibe: “What's the budget?”
“Just a quick unpaid test first.”
Roast
A test that ships is a job. Offer a paid mini-brief instead, real clients say yes in one message.
04 / Free, in person, monthly
Client
email roast
Bring your worst client email. We rewrite it live, out loud, in a room full of people who've been stiffed by the same three agencies.
Next session
[Thu · Month 00]
[7:00 – 9:00pm]
[VENUE NAME]
[STREET ADDRESS], [NEIGHBOURHOOD]
Free · BYO laptop · No RSVP needed
05 / The paper version
The zine
5.5 × 8.5in
500 free copies around Brooklyn
16 pages, two-colour riso, pull-out contracts in the middle. Stacked in coffee shops, print shops and studios from Bushwick to Sunset Park. Out of copies? Print your own. Seriously.
Out of copies? Print your own. Seriously.
Print-ready spreads · 8.4 MB