Quick tip regarding freelancing on Elance: always check if the client gave bad reviews in the past. Especially if they used rude language in the reviews. If they did, it can mean one of two things: that they are "leaches" (info down below) or that they were incompetent from the beginning selecting a valid worker (and you don't want to work for such a client because he might demand from you task that are completely out of the scope of the work you were hired to do but they will ask you anyway because they feel entitled to anything just because it is "computer work" and everything is related in their mind - this is just another version of the leach client)

Even though the second situation might sometimes be harmless to you if you are indeed a good worker and the client doesn't have absurd requests (in the end the client will give you a fair review for your work) you should still avoid both situation if you are just beginning freelancing since you don't need the added risk that the second type of client might prove to be a leach after all.

Some added explanation:

If you are just starting working on Elance it is really important to make sure that after completion of a job you get a five stars rating. This is important because getting such a review means that your chances of quickly getting a new job will increase.

Obviously, you should always do a great job and put effort into your work in order to get a nice review but sometimes, no matter how much "hair you loose" working for a client, you will get a 4 star rating. To add insult to injury, the client might even write something like "Great work, completed ahead of time with great support."

I like to call this type of clients "leaches" because they suck all your time, energy and patience, often demand extra work with no regard to your availability, getting upset when you don't answer back immediately (within a couple of hours) even though the main job you took has been finished for days, and instead of rewarding you when they finally get absolutely anything they want they puke all over your reputation. How is that for a slap in the face?

So, whenever you decide to tackle a new job with a new client, especially when you are in the beginning, always check what reviews the client has awarded in the past and in what tone. This will tell you immediately all you need to know about them.