Whether you write, perform, distribute, exhibit or license artistic work, making a living requires good business and legal practices. Your most important files may be the contracts that spell out the work required, what triggers payment, who owns what rights in the work product and final content, and when it has to be turned over. Smart creators know there’s a lot more to written contracts than just borrowing some template from a friend or applying what you do to a form you find online. You don’t have to play lawyer editing all the legalese, especially when you have a Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts organization right in your hometown. So come out and join Lawyers for the Creative Arts for a contract check-up and learn what you should have in writing. Contracts don’t have to be super formal but the wording does matter, so take the time to build a checklist, understand the types of terms that you can use and be able to explain what is in your contract and why. Marci Rolnik Walker
