There seems to be mixed reviews about whether contracts are necessary for freelance writers.

I personally feel  they are necessary. However, an email outlining and confirming the project could serve as a contract. There are some writers who feel that when you are only buying say, one article, there is no need to exchange contracts, but when it comes to bulk articles,  you would need to. Assuming the other party is not a member of your family, how can you trust someone to say that the article is original? You only have their word. (Having said that, you may still need a contract for a family member! ).  If someone is selling one article for $150 and another is selling a pack of 150 articles for $150, then does one need to exchange contracts for both or either jobs? Maybe I’m being a bit picky, but It’s not meant to be a trick question.

Anyway, there are enough sample writer contracts available, that it is not always necessary to hire an attorney to do the job. This  all depends on what information needs to be included on the contract.

Creative Lee has a sample freelance writing contract between writer and client. You can find a sample author and publisher contract at Cosmos Books.  The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Inc. (SFWA) have a sample contract for use between author and literary agent. Contract Edge charges $39 or less for single contracts or $149 for a pack of 20 various contracts and all created by attorneys.

Contracts can obviously adapted to suit your needs.