It's surprisingly easy to safeguard yourself so you you can get on with your project with confidence. Find out how long the company has been in business. Check references. Really. Negotiate payment terms. Protect Yourself. Understand the scope of work before you sign a contract.
Under Georgia law, for a contract to be valid, there must be an offer, acceptance, consideration, and mutual assent. See O.C.G.A. § 13-3-1. In the context of email communications, an offer can be made through an email, or contemporaneous emails, containing terms of a proposed agreement.
Ing to Boundy (2012), typically, a written contract will include: Date of agreement. Names of parties to the agreement. Preliminary clauses. Defined terms. Main contract clauses. Schedules/appendices and signature provisions (para. 5).