What are the rights of a self-employed person?

Questioner

I am a NT2 teacher at a language institute. I am being sent to other companies. I have signed a few contracts with 30 lessons per project with an end date of April 28, 2022. Now the company is canceling the lessons up to and including week 6. This means that the program is being postponed. As a self-employed person, can I refuse to give lessons after the first agreed end date (which is stated on the contract)? Or do I have to finish the project without further ado, for which the end date is now automatically postponed?

Lawyer

The short answer is: It depends on what is stated in the contract and any terms and conditions you or the company may have. Based on the current information, there is too much uncertainty to give a more concrete answer. For example, you talk about being sent by a language institute and that you signed a contract with a company. It is still unclear to me what role the language institute plays. Do you have an agreement with them? Do the negotiations and any other provisions run entirely through you, or (partly) through the language institute? In addition, it is important what exactly is stated in the contracts and whether you, the language institute and/or the company that cancels apply general terms and conditions (and if so, whether you have agreed to the company's general terms and conditions, or whether the company has agreed to your general terms and conditions). Please feel free to contact me by email if you have any questions or require legal assistance.