Ending a freelance contract

[TheHomicidalPowerOfaTypo]

I'm a freelancer for a company and there is no notice period stated in the contract (the contract was a confidentiaity contract rather than a length of service one).

I've worked with this company for under 6 months and I've asked to reduce my hours (significantly) or leave. I've been told that I can't just leave so I've offered to work out a notice period. I've had no reply to this as of yet.

I was wondering what the correct notice would be for a freelancer who's worked with the company for less than 6 months when none is stated in anything that I've signed (or anywhere else). I don't want to be letting anybody down but I need to do what's best for my career and my family.

TIA

I worked for a company for just over a year and was told one day that my services were no longer required as of then. I don't think you have the same legal rights when you're a freelancer so you can, technically, just tell them you're going and go. There's no notice required.

I am assuming you are not an employee - no PAYE tax etc.

In that case does the contract have a fixed term eg say you wll do a 6 month contract with them with no right to terminate or is it utterly open ended and just says it starts on X date and paid at Y?

If the latter then at common law you can terminate on reasonable notice (which will depend what is fair in the circumstances given length of working for them etc). In practice if you leave on a few days' notice I doubt they will sue you.

I send an invoice at the end of each month and pay my own tax. We have a 24 hour turn around on each piece of work so I could there's no length of time other than that.

Although since I asked abuot this the company have been amazing and have said that I can work up until I need to stop and then they'll keep me on their books as an ad hoc worker. I really couldn't have asked for a better result because this way I'm not obligated to work, but it's there if I need it.