I have hesitated to answer this question, because I am not sure if I remember, and I have not asked my wife. Who has had many contracts as a traveler, but if I recall right this is leggit. Remember most of these contracts also pay housing and other expenses like moving ect. So they have a big investment in you and will want to recover something if you canncel for any reason. My suggestion is read the contract you signed. It should tell you what your legal obligations are somewhere in the small print. The short answer will probably be take your lumps (pay the fee that will come out of your check) and get out. The one contract I took turned out to be quite a mess. The internal politics of the place where ammazing even for this female dominated profession. They were compiling a daily report on me from the begining, tallying my "mistakes". (any question about anythig was a mistake). Still all quite mercy to me, this many mounths latter. I know this because when they fired me they read it to me. Yes, they read it to me. To say the least I was asstonished. They still owe me about $140. I don't think I will ever see. I gladly took the door. I don't know if they treat everyone that way or if they just hired someone they didn't like or trust or what ever and felt they had to prove themselves right. I do know out of the seven people, I know who went there, one is still there six months latter and that person has changed departments twice and would quit if she could get back her old job. (Sorry I know you did not ask about any of this, but I gotta vent sometimes.) Any way, good luck and I hope things at home turn out ok for you. Let us know as you probalblly have already figured this out.