Breaking up with a client isn’t easy. Even if it feels like the time has come and you’re ready to move on, there’s always a feeling of anxiety around telling someone you don’t want to work with them any longer.
Some variables that impact how you’d approach disengaging a client include:
- whether your contract has a termination clause
- if your relationship is on good or bad terms
- what kind of handover process is needed for a smooth exit
Advice from freelancers for disengaging a client
Having asked freelancers how they approach ending a project, some patterns emerged mostly around keeping communication concise and anticipating problems.
One freelancer told us that the less said, the better. “We have a habit of over explaining to appease clients, but if there’s a termination clause with a notice period you aren’t required to provide detail.” Keeping it short and professional is the best course.
Make sure you’ve planned the next steps. Depending on the nature of the contract there may be assets to hand over. Your contract should outline what to do in the event of a termination:
- Is there hardware to be returned?
- Access to be revoked?
- IP to be handed over?
- Data to be destroyed?
Double check the terms you’ve agreed to in advance of giving notice.
Make sure you’ve retained a copy of client communication before giving notice, especially if there’s a strained relationship. For example, have a copy of client sign-off or anything of significance to the outcome of the project.
On many occasions we’ve seen relationships end badly and the client locks the freelancer out of the project. If this coincides with a dispute around work it makes it challenging to build a defence because the audit trail that would support the freelancer isn’t accessible. Anticipate these issues before breaking up with your client.
If you’re working without a contract it means your break might not be as clean because there isn’t a blueprint to work to. In this case being transparent and direct is your best option. Proposing an end date and letting the client know you’ll assist with handover to ease the transition will pacify any frustrations.
If they’re not happy with what you propose, compromise with them to find a solution that works for both parties. But in the future, have these details locked into your contract so there’s no ambiguity.
If it’s been a positive relationship, some freelancers find it useful to provide a list of other suppliers they recommend to replace them. The recommended freelancer potentially gets booked for work, and the client doesn’t have to search for a replacement. It’s a win win situation… but only if the client has been positive to work with!
One of the most interesting nuggets we heard was that most freelancers spent weeks or months worrying about the fallout from ending their relationship only for the client to be understanding. We suffer more in imagination than reality. In other words, the outcome is rarely going to be as bad as our minds would lead us to believe.
Free scripts to disengage a client
We’ve put together some example templates for you to use as inspiration. If writing your own make sure you:
- Set a final working date
- State your decision clearly
- Avoid an accusatory tone even if your client hasn’t been the best to work with
- Define handover boundaries
Short and professional client termination template
Hi,
I’m writing to formally give notice of my intention to disengage from our contract, in line with the 14-day notice period set out in our attached agreement.
My final working day will be XX/XX/XX.
I’ll continue to fulfil my obligations up until my final working day and will ensure a smooth handover of any outstanding work or materials.
Thank you for the opportunity to work together.
Kind regards,
Keeping the door open for future work client termination template
Hi,
I hope you’re doing well. I wanted to share that, after some thought, I’ve decided to step back from our current working arrangement. This wasn’t an easy decision, but I wanted to let you know formally and in line with the 14-day notice period in our attached contract.
My final working day will be XX/XX/XX.
I’m more than happy to continue supporting the work and help with a smooth handover up until my final working day. I really value the time we’ve worked together and hope our paths might cross again in the future.
Thank you again for the opportunity to work together.
Warm regards,
Strained client relationship termination template
Hi,
I’m writing to formally give notice of my intention to disengage from our working arrangement, in accordance with the 14-day notice period set out in our attached contract.
My final working day will be XX/XX/XX.
After careful consideration, I’ve concluded that the current way of working is no longer the right fit, and this decision is final. Between now and my end date, I’ll continue to meet my contractual obligations and will support an orderly handover of any outstanding work or materials.
Kind regards,
Client termination template when there is no contract
Hi,
I’m writing to let you know that I’ve decided to bring our working arrangement to a close. As there isn’t a formal contract in place, I want to set out the next steps clearly so we can wrap things up smoothly and professionally.
I propose that my final working day will be XX/XX/XX, after which I’ll no longer be providing ongoing services.
Up to that date, I’m happy to:
- Complete any agreed, in-progress work already underway, and
- Provide a clear handover of relevant files or materials relating to work completed to date.
Anything new or out of scope beyond this point would need to be agreed separately.
I’ve enjoyed our time working together and it’s important to ensure a straightforward and orderly conclusion to our work together.
Kind regards,
How-to guide for terminating your services
It’s important to get your ducks in a row before giving your formal notice. Don’t worry, we’ll walk you through what steps to consider when breaking up with your client.
Step one. Pull up a copy of your contract. You’re going to check the termination clause and make a note of your notice period. Even if you’re desperate to not work another day on this project, you’re contractually bound to work your notice period and failing to do so could lead to allegations of breach of contract.
Step two. Look at what steps are outlined for handover. Who owns the IP? What does it say around assets? You want to be confident that, when you give your notice, you know exactly what’s needed to tie things up neatly.
Step three. Even if your relationship is positive, make a copy of any communication where the client signs-off on your work. If this is all in Slack or What’sApp then download and retain a copy.
Step four. Save copies of briefs, change requests, feedback and anything else that’s considered important to the outcome of the project.
Step five. Use one of the templates above as a guide to formally notify your client. You’ll want to send this via email since formal notification to end a project should always be in writing.
Step six. Once your client has acknowledged your notice, you can begin with the controlled handover process. Depending on the nature of your work and the project, this may include a document detailing technical elements of the project. Alternatively you could propose a handover call where you walk your client through final steps, or a combination of both.
Step seven. Provide a shared folder with any assets and deliverables you were required to hand over.
Step eight. On your final day, it’s time to remove your access from any third-party tools (but not before downloading a copy of anything important!), change passwords where required and confirm your involvement has concluded.
If this has been a difficult client you’re going to feel relieved once you’ve provided your notice. Assuming you’re not breaching your contract and all loose ends are tied up, once it’s over you’ll probably never think about it again.
Some freelancers will argue that even difficult projects have their price, so if you’re not set on sending a termination letter try raising your prices. If the client stays on then you get better compensation but if they leave it’s no love lost.
For most freelancers the motivation is to not burn bridges and walk away with a clean break. This is why it’s important to have clearly defined rules around termination and handover. Without that things can get messy and there’s too much room for negotiation.
If you fall into that category right now, use this as a learning experience of what to do differently next time. It’s an opportunity to update your offboarding and contract.
