I’ve been working with a client for about six months on a handshake agreement, and they’ve started asking for more deliverables without any mention of adjusting the payment. I’m not sure how to bring up a formal contract now without sounding like I don’t trust them, especially since we’ve already built a good working relationship. Has anyone else had to navigate this kind of situation?
Totally get where you are coming from. The bond matters and a formal nudge can feel like doubt even when it is protection for what you both built. A simple written outline that clarifies deliverables and a fair payment path can feel respectful not accusing.
Draft a short SOW or contract that locks in scope acceptance criteria milestones payment terms and how changes get handled. Start with a one page draft and offer a quick call to walk through it. If they push back propose a paid pilot to test the new terms.
I might be reading this as you want more guardrails but worry about the vibe. A one page memo about what counts as done could ease the transition before any formal contract is signed.
Maybe the framing is off. If the handshake was the base you could ask what outcomes both sides want then decide who pays for changes. Does that shift the question to value rather than paper?
Six months in and new deliverables are coming up with no pay bump that reads as scope creep to me. Push for an explicit change order or a contract and a clear price for added work.
Frame this as a joint governance plan not a fight. Put in place milestones a simple pricing model and a process for changes. It is about keeping the good work sustainable rather than proving trust.
I often think in projects like chapters. Define acceptance criteria and a light change process and keep it practical. It can be less about trust and more about keeping momentum.