I thought a kill fee was just a way for clients to back out, but it saved me $2,000 last month.

A client in Phoenix hired me for a big website copy project and we signed a contract with a 50% kill fee clause. Halfway through, their funding fell through and they canceled the whole thing. I was sure I'd have to fight for any payment at all. But because the kill fee was clearly written in the contract, they paid the 50% without any argument. That was $2,000 I would have lost for three weeks of work. Now I see it as essential protection, not just optional legal stuff. Has anyone else had a kill fee actually work in their favor?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah_davis25d ago

Isn't it crazy how something in a contract can feel pointless until you really need it? @blair_torres70 makes a good point that it's standard, but that's exactly why it's so important. It turns a total loss into a real payment for the time you already spent. Calling it optional legal stuff misses how much it actually protects you when a client flakes.

ryanj1025d ago

Totally saved my butt once too. Had a client ghost after the first draft. That kill fee was the only reason I got paid anything.

blair_torres7025d ago

Kill fees are just part of the job though, right? Seems like standard freelance stuff, not some huge crisis. Getting ghosted happens to everyone. At least you got something out of it instead of nothing.