Understanding Stand Alone Agreements vs Master Agreements

A stand alone agreement vs master agreement may be a difficult concept for many to understand out of context but understanding the practical uses of this legal web design knowledge can aid with professional contracts of many kinds. For instance, if a freelancer were to hire a freelancer to create an attractive WordPress theme like Parallax Pro, he or she will have likely at some point needed to establish a clear agreement in order to state the relationship and protect his or her own rights.

When a designer needs a theme built for a website, it is usually the case that they ask a trusted developer to produce a theme which is often a custom theme based on a template or layout which has been established (like Parallax Pro) and then the designer will sell the template to a customer. A stand alone agreement can be compared to a WordPress theme and its underlying framework, Genesis. The frameworks in a WordPress website usually allow for the ability to customize them via the use of a child-theme – a theme built off another theme to allow for customizations while leaving the framework principles intact.

In the same way that a framework can be adapted to suit specific needs, a stand alone agreement might be used to amend or alter the specific agreement terms. The basic ideas of the distinction between a stand alone agreement and a master agreement are: A master agreement is an overarching framework. It could be thought of like a tree trunk upon which branches (stand alone agreements) grow. A master agreement might encompass many different relationships, products, sales, businesses, etc… whereas a stand alone agreement may be more specific, including a particular item or service.

Web design contracts may use a stand alone agreement for a long-term project that develops over the course of time to establish the general terms, but individual deliverables may warrant a separate stand alone agreement being drawn up for specific details about that particular item. For instance, a business may wish to have a yearly contract for maintenance on a website but if a glaring error was to arise that required immediate attention, it may be necessary to have a stand alone agreement to address that singular issue, or specific solution. A stand alone agreement may also be necessary for invoicing purposes, depending on the book keeping practices of the business.

This knowledge can help tech freelancers and creatives and freelancers in a number of different ways. For instance, if a freelancer focused on WordPress plugins or WordPress themes was to hire someone to create a new theme or plugin system, having an understanding of the legalities surrounding frameworks and agreements can help one to establish a foundation from which a business can be created, managed and grown. When a freelancer understands the value of entering into agreements for each new phase and stage in the business, they can use this knowledge to determine which legal agreements best suit their business needs.

When a freelancer knows the differences between a stand alone and master agreement, they are better able to manage their projects and create products and solutions that their clients will love and bring in repeat business. Just as a framework can be used in any type of website development, establishing a master agreement or a stand alone agreement can be used for website management, and effectively managing either project, business or inventory type services.

If you are a designer using Parallax Pro to create a Genesis framework webpage, then you can likely appreciate the need for guidelines when integrating custom themes and building new websites for clients. By understanding a framework (master) agreement or a stand alone (project) agreement, you can choose the best legal route for your business while solidifying your professional agreements with clients.

When a web designer is establishing guidelines for a project, they may wish to have a document addressing the big picture and once things are underway, have a document that addresses specific provisions under that big picture umbrella understanding. It is important to know what is expected and when something must be delivered and the pricing and objectives behind each item.

If you were to buy Parallax Pro for your business, you may want to study the guidelines and limitations of the framework before designing your website. As a designer using a framework like Parallax Pro, you may wish to have a basic understanding of what your options are if something goes wrong during the duration of a project. If, for example, the WordPress theme is not functioning properly and the developer did not give you a stand alone agreement, the developer may be liable for the support of that website for the duration of the project.

If you do not write the agreement in a way that limits the liability of the developer, then you may be required to pay for that ongoing support. As a result, it may be beneficial to limit the liability of the freelancer who creates the custom themes or install a comprehensive stand alone agreements for the duration of the support and the terms upon which the product may be distributed.

Without establishing this understanding of the relationship between the parties, there could be an increase in liability for each party, breach of contract, resulting litigation and ultimately the breakdown of the agreement adds unnecessary legal costs and hassle to the situation. Being able to navigate these agreements will help to avoid unforeseen liabilities which could cost additional legal costs and the loss of future business engagements.

In conclusion, the lessons learned from using stand alone agreements and master agreements may be summarized as follows: Understanding the flexibility provided in an overall framework can help organize a project for the long-term. In the same way, understanding the underlying contract frameworks can allow a freelancer or small business to adapt to meet their needs, changing circumstances and continuing to grow their business as they deliver their products or services to their customers. Remembering the significant differences in stand alone and master contracts can aid the understanding of a small business’ legal obligations and how to approach delivering those products and services.