I have added a section on my site where I will place standard documents I have used in the past as free downloads. More often than not I am presented with documents by vendors [or others] that are either incomplete or just missing so much that they’re not actually even appropriate for the task.
The first document I have listed is a Standard Contractor Agreement that you can use as a template for agreements with contracting companies that you engage. The document is designed specifically for professional services, usually software development. With regards to software development, it covers Licensing [including Open Source Software], IP Rights, Confidentiality, Right to Hire, Termination, Ownership, and a variety of other areas. The document itself is pretty fair for both parties, with many of the terms being mutual or at least allowing for mutual use cases.
It can be modified to accommodate just about any type of professional services.
You can download Standard Contractor Agreement here.
Note: As of February 2009, I am no longer offering templates for free. I now charge a small fee [in this case $9.95] for the templates. They have become quite popular judging by the number of downloads. The small amount of money I charge for these templates helps defray the cost of running the site. If you are unemployed or have some other financial hardship you can contact me through the main site and I will send you the template at no charge.
Open Office