Photographers NEED a Solid Contract

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Credit: Photo by The Legal Paige via CloudSpot

Written by Paige Griffith, J.D. of The Legal Paige

As photographers you’ve probably heard you need a good contract but maybe you haven't wanted to spend the money or wonder if a custom contract is really even needed. We here at The Legal Paige are honored to write this guest blog post and will take you step-by-step through why you need a good contract… and why your clients will thank you for having a good contract.

Solid Contracts can save your business!

A contract for your business protects you from unforeseeable risk and liability, and really sets the stage for your business's future. Photographers need to get their contracts in place before taking on clients. It doesn't matter if your first client is your best friend or your aunt, having a solid contract can save you from unwanted issues if something goes wrong.

Contracts are an added safety net for your business. When all of your business policies are in writing and your clients have to sign and acknowledge that they have read your business policies you are taking uncertainty and guesswork out of the picture for you and your clients. For instance, most photographers require that they are fed by the client while shooting a wedding more than 8 hours. This makes sense because weddings are long and hard work and you should be eating and taking breaks throughout the day. Unfortunately, there may be a situation where your couple forgets about agreeing to give you a meal and a break or just deny you the opportunity to rest. In this situation, if you have a contract in place you can remind them of the contract they have signed and they are legally required to accommodate you with a meal and/or a break to go off-site to get a meal. If you didn't have a contract they could tell you that they never agreed to this. Unfortunately, these kinds of situations happen all of the time and you need a legally binding document to help you sort it out and aid you when tough conversations and situations arise.

Having a contract benefits your clients as well!

When you present your contract to your potential clients you should be letting them know the benefits of the contract for them. When you send them the contract highlight a few clauses that they should be aware—such as a cancellation clauses and a communication clause—and explain in your own words why those clauses are in their favor. This not only helps you communicate with your clients the benefits of signing your contract but it is also important legally! It gives your clients a heads up on the clauses they need to pay extra attention to and serves as 'proof' (aka ‘evidence’) that you did indeed inform them of that important clause prior to working with you. You want to act as if you are sitting down at a table across from your client reviewing the contract before signing. Think how they did it in the olden days before the internet. If you wanted to get a contract signed, you needed to both meet up in person, go line-by-line through the contract, modify it as needed or clarify to your client what each clause meant, and then sign in person. This type of situation is invaluable in the overall legal process of booking a client because it allowed you and your clients the opportunity to have a full 'meeting of the minds'. And, in legal terms, having a 'meeting of the minds' is a critical element to a valid contract. Clients not only need this type of communication, but they love knowing what they are getting when booking with you. Of course, being able to fully understand and communicate with your client about your own contract levels up your professionalism and makes you look 10x more qualified than your colleagues.

If all of this seems daunting and you feel like you have no clue where to start, don’t worry! The Legal Paige has created rock-solid contracts for your growing photography business. Whether you are photographing a portrait session or a wedding for your clients, The Legal Paige has you covered. Check out just a few of The Legal Paige Contracts you can purchase below: