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Free internship agreement templates
How to protect your business and intellectual property when you’re working with interns.
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It pays to have an internship agreement template in place before you hire an intern, as it could save you from legal issues down the road. We'll show you what to include and point you in the right direction for free template downloads.
What's in this guide?
What is an internship agreement?
An internship agreement is a legally binding contract between an employer and an intern. It sets out in detail the roles and responsibilities of both parties, as well as the terms and conditions of the relationship. With an internship agreement, you know your confidential material and intellectual property is protected.
When should I use an internship agreement?
You will usually need to have an internship agreement template in place before you take on an intern, as they will need to sign it before they begin work. Whether it's a paid or unpaid internship, you still need a contract.
Internship agreement versus internship contract
There is no difference between an internship contract and an internship agreement; they both set out the expectations and duties of an internship. They also both establish what the intern will gain in lieu of pay.
What does an internship agreement include?
It is important that your internship agreement includes the kind of benefit the intern will gain from the internship. This helps to recognise their role as an intern as opposed to an employee, as in an employee contract, it states what the employer will benefit from the relationship. Here is what should be included in your internship agreement:
- Clearly defines the role and responsibilities of both parties
- Outlines the terms and conditions of the internship
- Identifies how the internship will be conducted
- Lists the facilities and equipment used
- Confidentiality clause
- Intellectual property clause
- Termination of internship clause
- Indemnity clause
How effective is an internship agreement?
An internship agreement is only effective if it is dated and signed by both the intern and the employer. It's also an essential document to protect your intellectual property and trade secrets. The agreement needs to clearly define the relationship as an internship as opposed to an employee position.
Do I need a lawyer for an internship agreement?
You do not need a lawyer to draft up an internship agreement in writing. There are a number of free templates you can use online to make sure the agreement includes what it needs to and that it's legally binding.
Get access to customisable internship agreement templates online
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How do I write an internship agreement?
Start by finding a free template of an internship agreement to download (see below) so you can customise it to suit your needs. This will help to keep you within the parameters of what is required by law to make it legally binding.
Where to get free legal documents and templates like an internship agreement
You can try government websites to find sample internship agreement templates to download. There are also a few legal sites where you can view the document you need before downloading. Other legal sites offer memberships and access to their library of legal and business documents for free. Here are some examples:
- Lawpath. Lawpath is an online legal resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs. You can view samples of legal document templates for free, but there's a fee for access to downloads and customisable options.
- Wonder.Legal. Choose from more than 140 legal document templates with an average fee of $22.96 to download. All you have to do is fill out a questionnaire and Wonder.Legal does the rest.
- LawDepot. LawDepot offers hundreds of business and legal documents free to download. All you do is fill them in online before downloading the documents straight to your computer.
- LegalVision. For a monthly membership to LegalVision of $199, you'll get unlimited access to free downloads of legal document templates.
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