legal advice

As a professional ghostwriter since 2001, one thing I've learned is that it's not ok to play without a solid ghostwriting contract.
This isn't because most ghosts want to take your money and run. And it's not because something's going to happen to either one of you. It's because it just takes ONE lousy ghostwriter or ONE lousy event in either of your lives to send things spinning. And if they start spinning, you'll want to know what to do.
In fact, the ghostwriting contract is such an important part of a ghostwriting relationship that the LACK of a thorough contract may just be evidence of a ghostwriter without much experience. Those who've been around the block know that it only makes sense to work with a solid agreement in place. That doesn't mean you shouldn't work with a ghostwriter who doesn't have a strong contract. It just means you should make sure you or the ghost gets one. A ghostwriter who otherwise shows his ability to write well for you is a worthy consideration, but you'll both be better off with a strong, written agreement.
For instance, let's say you both have the best of intentions, but your ghostwriter is suddenly in an accident or experiences health problems and can no longer work on your project. Is all your money down the drain? Does he owe you money back?
Or what happens if the ghostwriter has handed you a draft of the first five chapters and you want revisions made? Are those included? Do you pay more for revisions? What if the revisions aren't good enough? Is a second set of revisions included?
A good ghostwriting contract isn't just about handling deadbeats on both sides of the table. It's about speaking clearly to one another, even among the world's nicest people, so that expectations are understood and, if they're not met, everyone knows where communication fell apart and what can be done about it.