Non-circumvention rule expires after two years?

[6a6db855]

In the Terms of Service (https://www.upwork.com/legal#noncircumvention) it says "Section 7 discusses your agreement to make and receive payments only through Upwork for two years from the date you first meet your Client or Freelancer on the Site".

Does that mean that if I've been working for a client via Upwork for over two years, I'm allowed to cut out the middleman and work for the client directly, without breaching Upwork's terms?

It sounds like it means that (it says "two years from the date you *first meet* your client", not two years from when you most recently worked for them), but I wanted to check, to make sure I don't accidentally suggest or do something that's against the terms.

[petra_r]

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@Rachael C wrote:

Does that mean that if I've been working for a client via Upwork for over two years, I'm allowed to cut out the middleman and work for the client directly, without breaching Upwork's terms?

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 Yes! That's what it means.

[vladag]

Hi Rachael,

Thanks for reaching out to us with this question. To clarify the non-circumvention period rule and time-frame, it's 24 months from the time contact is made between you and a client on Upwork, i.e. once they invite you to a job post or you submit a proposal on their job post. To avoid any confusion, feel free to contact our Customer Support team and they will be able to advise on the longevity of your relationship with the client in question, as well as assist with any additional questions you might have.