For translators

Contracts for translators

A UK translator needs a signed agreement before the source is opened: language pair, purpose, quote versus estimate, revisions, unused booked time, , who owns the translation, and whether another linguist or MT+PE will produce the work. CDPA 1988 s.11 makes you first owner of freelance copyright; s.90 needs a written, signed . Lex drafts that on one shared link.

Last updated 4 November 2026

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Lex drafts it in Plain English beside the legal wording. Share one link; both sides agree and sign.

Templates translators use most

Client workFreelancer agreementA freelancer agreement sets the brief, deliverables, rate, rights and payment terms between a freelancer and a client.Read →Client workServices agreement (MSA)A services agreement sets the standing terms for every project with a client, so each new job needs only a short statement of work.Read →Client workStatement of workA statement of work sets the scope, deliverables, milestones and fees for one project under a wider services agreement.Read →Client workRetainer agreementA retainer agreement sets a monthly fee for a set amount of your time or availability, and what happens to unused hours.Read →NDAs & IPMutual NDAA mutual NDA lets two businesses share confidential information both ways before a deal, and says what each side can do with it.Read →Client workConsulting agreementA consulting agreement sets out advice and expertise you provide to a client, billed by the day, the month or the project.Read →HiringIndependent contractor agreementAn independent contractor agreement hires someone to do work as a business of their own, setting the work, pay, ownership and how the arrangement ends.Read →PartnershipsSubcontractor agreementA subcontractor agreement brings in help on a client project, passing down the right terms from your client contract.Read →

Which clauses decide a translator contract?

Five lines decide most translation jobs: the language pair and purpose, whether the fee is a quote or an estimate, who owns the translation, what a revision is, and how the source stays confidential. Write them in a freelancer agreement or a services agreement before the file is opened. Lex puts them on one paper the client signs from a link.

The clauses that usually decide a UK translation job. A fixed quote is practice after the source is seen, not a statutory rule. Assignment of copyright must be in writing, signed — CDPA 1988 s.90.
ClauseWhat it doesTypical translation line
Scope and deliveryPair, purpose, format in and out.EN→FR; for publication; DOCX in, bilingual DOCX out.
Quote versus estimateWhen the fee binds.Estimate for guidance; fixed quote after the source is seen.
IP of the translationWho owns the target text. of named uses on full payment; TM stays yours.
Revisions and acceptanceWhat a round is; what is new work.One round against the agreed source; a new source is a new quote.
ConfidentialityWhat stays private, and the usual limits.Source, TM and glossary stay private, except a court order.

What contract does a translator need?

Start from a freelancer agreement or a services agreement. There is no translation-contract-only template; those papers are the closest fit for a language pair, a fee and a delivery. Repeat work can hang a statement of work under standing terms. A monthly slot sits on a retainer. Company-to-company contractor work can start from an independent contractor agreement. If another linguist will produce the work, a subcontractor agreement sits next to it. If you are sharing unpublished source before the deal is signed, a mutual NDA sits next to it. What should a UK translator contract include? is the England and Wales deep-dive. Lex drafts from one sentence; the client signs from one link.

When is a quote binding and when is an estimate only guidance?

A fixed quote is the fee after you have seen or heard the source and have firm instructions. An estimate is guidance only; it is not a contract price. That is common UK translator practice, in the style of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) model terms — not a statute. If the client’s description of the file is materially wrong, the fee can be amended by agreement once you have opened it. Write which figure you are giving. See What should a UK translator contract include?.

How should scope, fees, VAT and late payment be written?

Name the language pair, the source format, the purpose, the word-count or hourly basis, the deadline and the delivery format. “Translation” is not a list. “EN→DE, 4,200 source words, for publication, bilingual DOCX by Friday” is a list. VAT is extra if you are VAT-registered; that is practice, not a rate we invent. For a UK business client, late commercial payment carries statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. See payment terms and What goes in a freelance or contractor agreement.

How should revisions, acceptance, cancellation and unused booked time work?

Write what a revision round is and what is a new source. One round against the agreed file is a common shape, not a statutory rule. Latent difficulties neither side could reasonably have known are a reason to reopen the fee, once you have said so. There is no default UK right to keep a or charge a ; both sides have to agree unused booked days. A consumer who bought at a distance has 14 days to cancel. The longer split is Client cancelled: can you keep the deposit?.

How should confidentiality, NDAs and personal data be written?

Source text, translation memories and glossaries stay private. Write the usual limits: a court order, or what the client has already made public. A confidentiality clause is not an by itself; put a mutual NDA next to a pitch. Your own invoices are typically data you control. UK GDPR Article 28 applies when the source contains personal data you process for a client organisation. Write that in data protection and confidentiality. See NDA for UK freelancers.

Who owns the translation, and how should subcontracting, MT+PE and liability work?

You do, unless you assign it. CDPA 1988 s.11 makes the author the first owner of freelance copyright. Section 90 says an assignment is not effective unless it is in writing, signed. Licence named uses on full payment; keep memories and unused drafts as pre-existing materials. Disclose when another linguist, or machine translation plus post-edit, produces the work. Cap liability at the fees. You cannot exclude death or personal injury caused by negligence — Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 s.2. See limitation of liability and How a freelancer caps liability.

Frequently asked questions

What contract does a translator need?

A freelance translation agreement covering the language pair and purpose, quote versus estimate, fees and VAT, revisions, unused booked time, confidentiality, who owns the translation, disclosure of another linguist or MT+PE, and a . There is no translation-only template; start from the freelancer agreement or the services agreement.

Is a translator’s estimate a binding price?

No. An estimate is guidance only. A fixed quote is the fee after you have seen or heard the source and have firm instructions. That is common UK translator practice, in the style of the ITI model terms — not a statutory rule. Write which figure you are giving.

Do I own the translation until I am paid?

Yes, unless you already assigned copyright in writing, signed. CDPA 1988 s.11 makes you the first owner of freelance copyright. s.90 requires a signed written assignment. Paying an invoice does not move ownership. Write a licence or assignment on full payment.

Must I disclose machine translation or another linguist?

Yes, if another person or machine translation plus post-edit produces the work. Write that on the paper. The client is buying a named linguist’s work unless you said otherwise. Use a subcontractor agreement if you hire someone else.

Can I keep the fee if the client cancels booked time?

Only if both sides agreed unused booked days and what is kept. There is no default UK kill-fee rule and no default right to keep a deposit. For a consumer, a 14-day cancellation right can apply on a distance or off-premises service contract, and the term must be fair.

Can my client sign without creating an account?

Yes. You share one link, the client reads the agreement in Plain English, agrees and signs. It is free for them.

Sources

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The legal wording governsLast reviewed 4 November 2026Pending lawyer review