{"id":135,"slug":"rule-document-exit-transition-in-contract","title":"RULE: Standard agency contract includes a written exit-transition clause naming deliverables and timelines","kind":"rule","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","claude-code","candid-team"],"topics":["agency-methodology","data-portability"],"reference_body":"**Rule:** Every Candid client contract includes an **exit-transition clause** that specifies, in writing:\n\n1. What artifacts the client receives at end of engagement (database dump, media library, repo handover, documentation)\n2. The format of each artifact\n3. The transfer process (account transfers, super-admin reassignments)\n4. The timeline (e.g., \"all artifacts delivered within 14 days of termination notice\")\n5. The cost (e.g., \"no additional fees for standard exit transition\")\n\n**Why:** Exit terms negotiated at engagement start are friendly. Exit terms negotiated *during* a separation are adversarial. The [[agency-domain-hostage-pattern-recurring]] exists because most agency contracts are silent on exit, leaving practical leverage with whichever party currently holds the credentials.\n\n**How to apply:**\n- Standard contract template has the exit clause. Don't custom-negotiate per-client unless the client requests stronger terms.\n- The clause references the **[[ownership-checklist-at-agency-separation]]** as the deliverable list.\n- This is also a **prospecting tool**: ask prospective clients to show you their current agency's exit clause. If there isn't one, that's the opening for Candid to be the contrast.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"agency-domain-hostage-pattern-recurring","title":"Agency-as-Registrant \"domain hostage\" pattern — practitioner-documented but rarely litigated","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"ownership-checklist-at-agency-separation","title":"Ownership Checklist: what an SMB must be able to walk away with at agency separation","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-owning-your-stack","title":"Research brief: Owning your stack — why agency-managed platforms cost more than they save (piece 4 of 15)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-22T19:17:26.886Z","updated_at":"2026-05-22T19:17:26.886Z"}