Just found out my 'standard' non-compete clause is basically unenforceable in my state
I've been signing freelance contracts for years, always skimming over the non-compete section because I figured it was just boilerplate. The one I signed last month for a six-month project in California had the usual line about not working with similar clients for a year after. I was about to turn down a great new offer because of it. Then my friend, who's a paralegal, asked to see my agreement over lunch. She pointed at the clause and laughed, saying California law makes those almost impossible to enforce for independent contractors. I felt like a total fool. I'd been limiting my own income and turning down work based on a scary paragraph that had no real teeth here. All that worry for nothing. Has anyone else in a state with strict non-compete laws had to push back and get that section removed before signing?