Did you know that you have free access to the Freelancers Union Legal Clinic? 

If this is the first you’re hearing about our Legal Clinic, we are excited to share some details with you! 

The clinic provides free legal support to all independent workers across the country. If you’re a freelancer, that means you. After you submit a complaint form on our website, our legal team will reach out directly to you and provide direct, specialized guidance based on your legal questions and concerns. Even if you have already sought every option for recourse without legal assistance (i.e. direct appeal to the client, demand letters, attempted mediation), the clinic can provide advice through consultation with our pro bono legal counsel, and if necessary – steps you could consider for pursuing legal action.

As freelancers, we know that you value your ability to decide what work you take on and your ownership over your creative output. Working independently, you make the decisions that govern how you spend your time without the constraints of a boss. However, it can feel especially isolating when your rights are not respected. Without coworkers to commiserate with about potential legal violations, it can be difficult to know where to turn. All too often freelance labor is taken for granted and clients cut corners – jeopardizing your livelihood, your rights, and your future.

Every day, freelancers with explicit agreements outlining scopes of work and payment do not receive timely payment for their work. Three-quarters of freelancers nationwide report not being paid on time. When clients delay, contest, and refuse payment for freelancers’ work it can feel overwhelming and unclear about where to turn for help. We, at the Freelancers Union, are here to tell you that you do have recourse to resolve these violations of your rights.

The Freelancers Union is proud to have both sponsored the adoption of the Freelancers Isn’t Free Act for New York City in 2017, statewide across New York in 2024, and supported the growth of freelancer rights’ laws across the country. The Freelance Isn’t Free laws mandate that freelancers must be provided with a written contract, paid within 30-days unless otherwise stipulated, and will not be subject to retaliation. The laws provide double damages for freelancers who prevail on their claims in court. 

If you are experiencing issues including: nonpayment or delayed payment, employer misclassification, harassment, retaliation, unsafe working conditions of any kind, or other forms of abuse – please reach out to our legal clinic through our complaint form. And if you know of other freelancers facing similar issues with a specific client of yours, please share the complaint form with them so that we can speak with them too. The Freelancers Union Legal Clinic will be with you every step of the way to make sure that your voice is heard and that your rights are respected.