Document drafting services serve many roles for many different clients, but they're useful for far more than just large businesses. In fact, smaller businesses, contractors, and freelancers can often benefit from their services. In many cases, the cost of hiring a professional drafting service to craft legal documents is far less than the cost of potential legal complications.

If you operate a small freelancing business, it's worth considering hiring a professional service whenever you need legal documents. Here are three situations where nearly any freelance operator can benefit from professionally crafted legal documents.

1. Informal Letters of Agreement

One of the most basic contracts used in many types of freelance work is the letter of agreement. Contractors and their clients rarely rely on professionals to create this "informal" document, despite its terms being legally binding. Unfortunately, this oversight can often lead to disputes or other issues in the future.

Even if you don't need a lengthy contract specifying the terms and conditions of your work, hiring a professional drafting service to craft a letter of agreement can be highly beneficial. By working with a professional, you can ensure your terms (however limited) will hold up to future scrutiny, helping protect you in a serious dispute.

2. Subcontractor Agreements

Working with a subcontractor can often be a little intimidating as a freelancer, especially if you've never subcontracted your work before. Unfortunately, many projects are too large for individuals to handle independently. Alternatively, you may work in a field where you occasionally need to subcontract with professionals who bring different skill sets, such as copywriters or graphic designers.

Whatever the case, subcontracting some of your work flips the typical arrangement and puts you in the client role. If you're not used to being in this position, you may not be sure how to craft the terms of your agreement to protect you, your subcontractor, and your client. A professional drafting service can help create a formal legal document defining work scope, payment details, and more.

3. Rights-Managed Contracts

Rights-managed (RM) contracts are specific contracts often used by creative freelancers. These contracts help protect your work while providing your client the rights they need to utilize it for their project. RM contracts are complex, with numerous options depending on the scope and type of your work and its intended use.

If you work in a field such as photography, graphic design, writing, or another creative industry, you'll likely use RM contracts fairly often. Because of the complexity of these contracts and the importance of protecting your work, it's important to work with a professional legal document drafting service to ensure your RM contract provides acceptable terms for you and your client.