Legal contracts for freelance developers on Github

From earlier today (since it's related, especially the HN comments): <a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2612245" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2612245</a><p>Personally, I would be wary of using any contract written by someone who isn't a lawyer. Telling people that you feel "there is no need to state the obvious as many contracts do" doesn't instil a lot of confidence either: how do you <i>know</i> what needs to be explicitly stated and what doesn't?

Some comments (IANAL):<p>You might want to retain copyright until the work is paid for in full.<p>You can't really "issue" a contract. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeting_of_the_minds" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeting_of_the_minds</a>. This messes up your definition of "Developer". Just state the two parties by name.<p>The copyright assignment makes no sense. It basically reads "the client has copyright, except when he doesn't".<p>Termination: so I give you 14 days notice within the 30 day payment window and then all your outstanding invoices are cancelled so I never have to pay? Great!<p>I don't think you should have to get a lawyer, but you do need a contract to be unambiguous. I don't think that yours is.

Github repo: <a href="https://github.com/danielbeardsley/service_contracts/blob/master/development_service_contract.md" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/danielbeardsley/service_contracts/blob/ma...</a>