[consulting] Getting Freelance Work

[Jeff Greenberg]

On 6/2/2010 9:25 AM, Bill Fitzgerald wrote:
> In the US, anyone can sue anyone else for any reason. A contract is a
> form of protection in case of a lawsuit, but it can't actually stop the
> lawsuit from occurring. So, someone can sue you and lose, but you still
> have to put time/money/resources into winning the case. That's when it's
> good to have insurance.
>
> We have a contract with similar language, and our developers agreement
> includes a provision about recovering reasonable legal expenses in the
> even things go pear-shaped, and we've never had to use any of it (knocks
> on wood) - but we also have insurance, and a lawyer we trust, and both
> of those things bring peace of mind.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Bill
> _______________________________________________
>    
Very true. Mine also have a clause that in the case of a contractual 
dispute, the venue will be arbitration or small claims court. That said, 
neither a contract nor insurance will stop someone from suing. The 
insurance may provide representation. It's important to note whether it 
covers -all- expenses. It's much like flood insurance. For some 
freelancers, and extra $1,000 per year is a big hit, but one spurious 
lawsuit can cost much more.

Jeff