Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about freelance contracts, safety, and using flagged.ovh.
Why and who is this site for?
I built flagged.ovh for freelancers, solo-creatives, and small business owners who often sign 'standard' contracts without a legal team. Most freelancers don't have $1,000 for a lawyer to review a $500 gig. This site provides a fast, free, and private 'first-pass' check to help you spot common traps—like ownership loss or payment delays—so you can sign with confidence or negotiate better terms.
Why should I trust flagged.ovh?
We prioritize transparency and accuracy. Every 'Red Flag' in our database is linked to established legal authorities like the U.S. Copyright Office, Cornell Law School, and Black's Law Dictionary. Furthermore, the site is 'Private by Design'—your data never leaves your browser, meaning I couldn't see your contract even if I wanted to.
Is 'Work for Hire' bad for freelancers?
It depends on your goals. A 'Work for Hire' clause means you legally lose all ownership of the work the moment it is created. You cannot resell it, use it in your portfolio (without permission), or claim to be the author. For high-paying enterprise gigs, this is standard. For creative portfolios, you should try to negotiate a 'License' instead.
What is a fair payment term for freelancers?
Standard corporate terms are often Net 30 (30 days after invoice) or Net 60. However, for independent freelancers, these delays can be crushing. A fair compromise is 'Net 15' or a '50% Upfront, 50% Upon Delivery' structure to ensure cash flow.
Can I negotiate a non-compete clause?
Absolutely. Most 'standard' non-competes are overly broad copy-paste jobs. You should ask to limit the scope to 'direct competitors only' and limit the duration to 'the term of the agreement'. A non-compete that stops you from working in your industry for 2 years is generally unreasonable for a freelance gig.
What does 'Indemnify and Hold Harmless' mean?
This is one of the most dangerous clauses. It means that if the client gets sued because of something related to your work, YOU have to pay their legal bills. Always ask for this to be 'Mutual' (they protect you too) and capped at the total value of the contract.
Why do I need a Kill Fee?
If a client cancels a project halfway through, you have lost the time you blocked off on your calendar. A 'Kill Fee' (or cancellation fee) ensures you are paid for the work done plus a percentage (usually 25-50%) of the remaining fee to cover your lost opportunity.
Is this tool a substitute for a lawyer?
No. Flagged.ovh is an automated pattern-matching tool designed to spot common keywords. It does not understand context, local laws, or nuance. It is a 'first-pass' check to help you identify questions to ask, but for binding legal advice, you must consult a qualified attorney.
How do I use the Negotiation Scripts?
When our scanner finds a red flag (like 'Net 90'), click on the highlighted text. A panel will appear with a 'Suggested Script'. You can copy this text and paste it into your email to the client. These scripts are written to be professional, polite, and firm.
Is my contract data safe?
Yes. We use a 'Local-First' technology called Tesseract.js. When you upload a photo or paste text, the processing happens 100% inside your web browser. Your contract is never sent to our servers, never stored in a database, and never seen by a human.
What if the OCR misses a word?
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) can struggle with blurry photos or handwriting. We recommend using the 'Split View' to compare the original image with the text. If you see a clause in the image that wasn't highlighted, you can verify it manually against our Glossary.
Still have questions? Check our Glossary for a full list of over 100 contract terms and their definitions.