Non-Compete Clause Evaluator
Paste a non-compete clause and select your jurisdiction. Get an instant enforceability rating, risk analysis, and jurisdiction-specific legal guidance.
Tip: Include the full clause text — duration, geography, scope, and consideration.
Required for IL, MA, WA, NY threshold checks.
This tool provides automated analysis for informational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Non-compete laws change frequently. Consult a licensed employment attorney for jurisdiction-specific guidance.
About the Non-Compete Evaluator
Paste any non-compete clause and get instant enforceability analysis by jurisdiction. Risk score, red flags, jurisdiction-specific laws, and suggested revisions.
What you can do with it
- 20+ US, CA, UK, AU, EU jurisdictions
- 7 risk categories analyzed
- Clause text parsing + extraction
- Copy suggested revisions
Frequently asked questions
Are non-competes enforceable for freelancers?
Increasingly, no — or only in narrow form. California voids them almost entirely (Bus. & Prof. Code §16600). Several other US states (Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and for employees in Illinois and others) ban or restrict them. In the UK and EU they're enforceable only if reasonable in duration, geography, and scope relative to the legitimate interest protected. A freelancer clause that bars you from your whole industry for two years is very likely unenforceable — and unenforceable clauses still chill competition even when they'd fail in court.
What makes a non-compete too broad?
Three dimensions: duration (over 12 months is aggressive for a services relationship), geography (global or national when the client operates in one region), and scope (banning 'any similar work' instead of the specific services rendered for that client). A defensible clause is narrow: 'for 6 months, you won't provide [specific service] to [specific named accounts] within [region].'
Should I sign a non-compete a client sends?
Push back first — freelancers have leverage clients often forget: you can decline the work. A reasonable request for a limited non-solicitation (don't poach their staff) or a short, narrow non-compete on the specific engagement is acceptable. A broad one is a yellow flag about the client's culture. If you must sign, narrow the duration, geography, and covered services, and confirm the payment terms (unpaid non-competes are doubly suspect).
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Non-Compete Evaluator: Common Questions
Are non-competes enforceable for freelancers?
Increasingly, no — or only in narrow form. California voids them almost entirely (Bus. & Prof. Code §16600). Several other US states (Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and for employees in Illinois and others) ban or restrict them. In the UK and EU they're enforceable only if reasonable in duration, geography, and scope relative to the legitimate interest protected. A freelancer clause that bars you from your whole industry for two years is very likely unenforceable — and unenforceable clauses still chill competition even when they'd fail in court.
What makes a non-compete too broad?
Three dimensions: duration (over 12 months is aggressive for a services relationship), geography (global or national when the client operates in one region), and scope (banning 'any similar work' instead of the specific services rendered for that client). A defensible clause is narrow: 'for 6 months, you won't provide [specific service] to [specific named accounts] within [region].'
Should I sign a non-compete a client sends?
Push back first — freelancers have leverage clients often forget: you can decline the work. A reasonable request for a limited non-solicitation (don't poach their staff) or a short, narrow non-compete on the specific engagement is acceptable. A broad one is a yellow flag about the client's culture. If you must sign, narrow the duration, geography, and covered services, and confirm the payment terms (unpaid non-competes are doubly suspect).
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