Chasing Late Payments Members  

The majority of clients pay their bills within a reasonable period, but if you find that your invoice has not been paid, or there appears to be a deliberate attempt to not pay you, you may want to follow these recommendations.

Using a Contract

Never undertake a commission without a contract. A contract protects you against failure of payment and most other common issues. You may want to use the AOI Illustrator Commissioner Agreement as your contract if it is appropriate to your situation. The AOI Illustrator Commissioner Agreement includes this clause: ?The licence hereby granted to use the artwork is contingent upon the Illustrator having received payment in full of all monies due to her/him and no reproduction or publication rights are granted unless and until all sums due under this Agreement have been paid.? Therefore, the client is infringing your copyright if they are using the illustration before you are paid, so if they do not pay invoices within the agreed 30 day period and continue to use the illustration(s) you would be entitled to require them to cease and desist until you have received payment.

After the first 30 Days

Invoices to your clients should include the statement ?All payment is due within 30 days?. If the client