Whether you’re the developer or the client, the scope of work in your software development agreement is essential to performance by the other party. If the deal falls apart during performance, an app development lawsuit is time-consuming, stressful, and expensive.
Also know as a “statement of work,” your app development contract’s scope of work should be as detailed as possible as to what specifically is being done as part of the development.
For example, does the project include beta testing and revisions to the application prior to release? Many app development projects fall apart when the parties start fighting over whether something omitted from the contract is included…and whether or not the developer should be paid more if that work is performed.
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In addition, the software development agreement scope of work should specifically exclude what is not part of the scope of work that the other party might mistakenly believe is included.
For instance, it’s common for software maintenance and support to be a separate issue from app development. And the developer expects to be paid for such maintenance and support because time and expertise are involved.
On the other hand, the client may expect at least an initial period of support and maintenance to be included (e.g. 90 days) post-release as part of the development deal.
Whether it’s included or excluded is part of the negotiations that should occur between the parties. But the issue should be resolved from the outset instead of getting into an argument about it after the app is released.
A good software lawyer can prepare an app development contract that’s right for your project. And if you’re a developer, a template contract can be created for you to use in multiple deals with different clients as part of your software development business.
