Legal Questions and Answers

Get free proposals from vetted lawyers in our marketplace.

GET FREE PROPOSALS
No upfront payment required. Pay only if you hire.
Home Q&A Forum Can I include a non-compete clause in a freelance contract to protect my business interests?
Trustpilot

Business Contracts

Freelance Contract

Texas

Asked on Jun 17, 2024

Can I include a non-compete clause in a freelance contract to protect my business interests?

I am a small business owner who frequently hires freelancers to work on projects for my company. Recently, I had a freelancer complete a project for me, only to discover that they started their own business offering similar services and are now competing directly with my company. This has caused financial harm to my business, so I am wondering if I can include a non-compete clause in future freelance contracts to prevent this from happening again and protect my business interests.

1 Attorney answer

Answer

Business Contracts

Texas

Answered 82 days ago

Darryl S.

ContractsCounsel verified

Business Lawyer
Licensed in Texas
Free Consultation

YES - you can include a non-compete in your contract, but the enforceability of non-competes is currently unsettled due to a recent FTC ruling making them illegal. Things are changing fast on this topic and you should seek legal advice.

Use of the ContractsCounsel Q&A Forum does not create an attorney-client relationship between User and any Lawyer User. The Forum is not a substitute for legal advice from a lawyer but is intended to be educational and to help the user determine if legal services are necessary. The Forum, Content, and communications on the Forum do not constitute legal advice.
Meet some lawyers on our platform

Forest H.

274 projects on CC
CC verified
View Profile

Garrett M.

13 projects on CC
CC verified
View Profile

Dolan W.

69 projects on CC
CC verified
View Profile

Zachary J.

411 projects on CC
CC verified
View Profile

Quick, user friendly and one of the better ways I've come across to get ahold of lawyers willing to take new clients.

View Trustpilot Review
Ask a Question
Texas Business Contracts lawyers by city

Contracts Counsel was incredibly helpful and easy to use. I submitted a project for a lawyer's help within a day I had received over 6 proposals from qualified lawyers. I submitted a bid that works best for my business and we went forward with the project.

View Trustpilot Review

I never knew how difficult it was to obtain representation or a lawyer, and ContractsCounsel was EXACTLY the type of service I was hoping for when I was in a pinch. Working with their service was efficient, effective and made me feel in control. Thank you so much and should I ever need attorney services down the road, I'll certainly be a repeat customer.

View Trustpilot Review

I got 5 bids within 24h of posting my project. I choose the person who provided the most detailed and relevant intro letter, highlighting their experience relevant to my project. I am very satisfied with the outcome and quality of the two agreements that were produced, they actually far exceed my expectations.

View Trustpilot Review

Find lawyers and attorneys by city