Amendment vs Addendum: How to Make Changes to Your Contract

Last Updated 3/5/25

As an entrepreneur, contracts are the legal backbone of your business relationships. Knowing the differences between an amendment vs addendum helps you keep your contracts up-to-date and avoid legal headaches.

It’s normal for situations to come up where you need to make changes to a client contract. Situations like:

- A client requesting more or fewer hours of work from you than planned
- A client wanting to add services to their original service package
- When you or your client needs to reschedule the date of an event

An amendment or addendum allows you to make changes even after signing a contract.

I’m Paige Griffith, CEO and lead attorney behind The Legal Paige. As a lawyer and a former photographer, I want to help you thrive in your business. I offer legal education and an online contract template store to help you navigate the legal world with less overwhelm.

So let’s talk about what you should know about an amendment vs addendum. (You’ll want these legal tools in your back pocket!)

Amendment vs Addendum: What Is An Addendum?

What is an addendum? An addendum is a document you attach to a contract. You can use an addendum to:

- introduce new information,
- clarify language,
- or modify the terms of the original contract.

A difference between an amendment vs addendum is that, in general, an addendum doesn’t *rewrite* the original contract. Instead, it adds to it.

5 instances when you might use a contract addendum:

1. Adding new clauses to the contract

2. Clarifying ambiguous language (when something is a little vague)

3. Addressing unforeseen circumstances (such as increased travel fees)

4. Extending deadlines or timelines

5. Adding services or additional service providers to your package (and the additional payment that comes along with that new service!)

For example, let’s say you’re a wedding photographer and your clients signed a contract for you to take their wedding photos. But then you offer to provide social media coverage on top of your photography services. Now you need a content creation clause (or two!).

In this case, you wouldn't need your clients to sign a brand-new contract. You would instead use an addendum since the core contract isn’t being altered. You can use an addendum to add to your contract while keeping the original agreements in place.

Amendment vs Addendum: What is an Amendment?

An amendment is a formal change to a contract. Unlike an addendum, an amendment alters the terms of the original contract. 

4 instances when you might use a contract amendment:

1. Changing the payment terms or dates

2. Modifying the scope of work

3. Altering the duration of the contract

4. Adjusting pricing or fees

For instance, let’s say you’re a website designer. You contracted to provide 10 website pages for a client. Now they’ve asked you to design 20. You would use an amendment to change the scope of the project and the payment amount due.

An amendment allows you to revise elements of the original contract after signing.

3 Tips to Executing Contract Amendments and Addendums Like a Pro

Tip 1: Talk it Out!

Before sending any amendments or addendums, communicate with your client. (In an email, of course, for written documentation!).

Before writing up the contract or amendment, we recommend you:

- discuss proposed changes with your client,
- address any concerns, and
- clear all the details.  

Make sure everyone is on the same page. That’s the *secret sauce* for a healthy client relationship. It also creates evidence of your updated agreement in case of a dispute.

And remember, when you use a contract addendum or amendment, everyone who signed the original contract must agree to the new terms. One person cannot single-handedly make changes without the other parties’ consent.

Tip 2: Details Matter!

Whether you need an amendment or addendum the key is *attention to detail.* 

In your document:

- name what the original contract was,
- state the changes you’re making with the amendment or addendum, and
- ensure all parties sign at the bottom. 

Everyone involved should fully understand any changes they are agreeing to. 

Tip 3:  Keep it Legit: Put it in Writing

Verbal agreements aren’t enough! 

Once you and your clients decide on a change, document the changes. Put it in a formal legal amendment or addendum, and make sure both parties save a signed copy. This creates a paper trail in case of a disagreement or lawsuit. 

If you’re a service provider, you’ll almost certainly need to adjust client contracts from time to time. We’ve put together this bundle of downloadable addendum and amendments that you can keep on hand for all kinds of client situations. It includes reminders of when you would use an amendment vs addendum and the legal language to keep contracts up to date.

Contract Addendum & Amendments for General Purposes

Tech Tips: How to Send an Addendum or Amendment Through Your Customer Resource Management Software (CRM)

What if you need to update a contract signed via your CRM (like Honeybook, 17 Hats, Dubsado, Dropbox Sign, or ShootQ)? 

Here are some simple steps you can take to add a contract addendum or amendment, depending on your type of CRM system:

If your CRM system allows you to edit a signed contract: Attach the addendum or the amendment below the original document. This creates a clear, chronological record of documents. Ask your clients to sign and point out any changes or new agreements.

If your CRM system doesn't allow you to edit a signed contract: Consider sending the addendum or amendment to your client as a new document. Ask your clients to sign and point out any changes or new agreements.

In EITHER case, make it clear:

- what the original agreement was,
- who signed it,
- and the date it was signed.

Most popular CRM systems make it simple to share addendums or amendments with clients.

Go-To Contract Addendums and Amendments for Creatives

If you’re a professional creative, chances are you'll need addendums and amendments to keep your contracts legit.

Attorneys at The Legal Paige have prepared addendum and amendment templates for service-based business owners. They have legal language ready for you to download, customize, and send to your clients.

Check out these essential addendum and amendment templates for your business toolkit:

CONTRACT ADDENDUM & AMENDMENTS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES

Amendments and addendums are often simple, one-page documents. But you want to make sure you use the right legal terms in place. You would use this form for most situations where you need either an amendment or an addendum. 

For a quick and easy way to use them, try our pre-written Contract Addendum Amendments for General Purposes. These documents come with helpful notes from an attorney to take the guesswork out of updating your client contracts. 

RESCHEDULING ADDENDUM

A rescheduling addendum allows you to modify your client contract to change an event date. For example, if you’re a wedding planner and your clients decide to postpone their wedding date. This addendum legally updates your agreement and creates a clear record of the change.

We have a Contract Addendum for Rescheduling tailored for service-based business owners. It’s specifically for clients who have *already* decided on a new date. (If you don't have a date selected yet, use a Rescheduling Contract instead.)

You can learn more in this article: How and When to Use a Rescheduling Contract.

THIRD-PARTY PAYOR ADDENDUM

Use this type of addendum when someone other than the client you are servicing pays for your services (i.e. a parent of the bride paying for wedding photos). Read more about how to handle these situations as a service provider here.

Simply ask the third-party payor to sign when they pay for your services. This confirms that:

- they are responsible for payment,
- that they are not the client you are servicing,
- and that the non-refundable retainer applies to them. 

Also, have the client(s) sign this addendum so they understand they’ll need to pay if the third party fails to do so. You can use this third-party payor addendum to make sure you collect payment.

ADDENDUM FOR RESCHEDULING *AND* ADDING AN ASSOCIATE

This one is specific to photographers when:

- you need to reschedule a wedding or other event date, such as for a personal emergency, AND
- you are designating an associate photographer as the primary photographer.

Now you have a two-in-one contract update so you can be at ease when scheduling conflicts come up.

The Legal Paige Take

Here we've talked about the purpose of an amendment vs addendum. 

To answer the question “What is an amendment?”: An amendment is a document that changes some of the original terms of a contract. 

And to answer the question, “What is an addendum?”: An addendum is an attachment that adds information without changing certain terms of the original contract. 

As a business owner, it's normal for client contracts to change from time to time. Legally, it's important to keep your contracts up to date. This protects your time and income and shows professionalism.

Remember, always make sure you’re on the same page as your clients and put the details in writing.

Learn more about when to use an amendment vs addendum in this podcast episode: How to Use Addendums, Rescheduling Contracts, and Cancellation Contracts.

Also check out our full range of contract addendums at The Legal Paige here: Contract Addendums and Amendments Templates.