What IS the deal with ongoing deatbeat clients? 

I had one, (I have since "fired" them) who started out paying according to the payment scheduled we had agreed to and then they started getting slower and slower in paying yet wanted me to CONTINUE to doing work for them.

They actually accused ME of trying to blackmail them when I said, listen up, kids, if you don't get caught up, I can't do any more work for you until we are even.  They said that wasn't "FAIR".

FAIR?  What's so far about NOT paying me yet expecting me to continue to work?

Needless to say, I dumped them.  It took me MONTHS to recover the last $300.00 from them and when they paid it, they acted like they were doing me a favor.

Non-Paying client vs ONGOING non-paying client - it's a NO BRAINER.  Ditch the deadbeat and then work the legal system to get paid.  Many times you don't even need to go to court.

What's even more annoying is when they have an office full of staff that GETS THEIR CHECKS regularly.  Why is it we independent contractors are expected to wait???  I never figured that out.