Berek Halfhand

I have been contracting for roughly six years and have always went through an agent. There have been times where I have had the opportunity to go direct but have chosen to go through an agent for the simple reason that I'm 'gauranteed' a regular and prompt payment, even if at a premium.

I recently started a new contract and with a new agent. The problem is that the agent refuses to pay until they have recieved the funds from the client. This can typically be a period of a month. For example, the first month's invoice is payed two months after starting. Is this normal practice? If so, what is the point of going through an agent at all? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

In the past I have recieved a payment within 5-10 days of invoicing.