RULE: Standard agency contract includes a written exit-transition clause naming deliverables and timelines

Rule: Every Candid client contract includes an exit-transition clause that specifies, in writing:

1. What artifacts the client receives at end of engagement (database dump, media library, repo handover, documentation)
2. The format of each artifact
3. The transfer process (account transfers, super-admin reassignments)
4. The timeline (e.g., "all artifacts delivered within 14 days of termination notice")
5. The cost (e.g., "no additional fees for standard exit transition")

Why: Exit terms negotiated at engagement start are friendly. Exit terms negotiated during a separation are adversarial. The Agency-as-Registrant "domain hostage" pattern — practitioner-documented but rarely litigated exists because most agency contracts are silent on exit, leaving practical leverage with whichever party currently holds the credentials.

How to apply:

• Standard contract template has the exit clause. Don't custom-negotiate per-client unless the client requests stronger terms.
• The clause references the Ownership Checklist: what an SMB must be able to walk away with at agency separation as the deliverable list.
• 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.