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CONTRACTTemplate preview · Example
01
Services
Needs review summary; four half-day workshops with workbooks.
02
Fees and payment
Deposit before work starts, invoices due within 14 days, expenses at cost with approval.
03
Rescheduling
A session moved with at least five working days’ notice is rescheduled at no charge. With less notice, the session fee is payable in full.
04
Termination
Either party can end the agreement with written notice; work done to date is paid.
What a client services contract should cover
A client services contract sets out what you’ll deliver, what the client must do, how you’re paid and what happens if things change. For service providers, the clauses that matter most are usually rescheduling, materials, substitution.
Clause
Why it matters
Services and exclusions
Defines the work and stops scope creep before it starts.
Client responsibilities
Makes dependencies explicit and ties your dates to them.
Fees and payment
Deposit, payment terms, expenses and late payment.
Rescheduling
A session moved with at least five working days’ notice is rescheduled at no charge. With less notice, the session fee is payable in full.
Materials
The provider keeps ownership of its training materials. The client may use the copies supplied for its own staff but may not resell or publish them.
Substitution
If the named trainer is unavailable, the provider may supply another trainer of equal experience, with the client’s agreement.
Termination
How either side can end it and what’s owed.
The template
Parties
Service provider: [Business name, address, email] (“the provider”)
The provider will deliver the service services described below, or in a statement of work signed by both parties.
[Needs review summary]
[Four half-day workshops with workbooks]
[Twelve one-to-one coaching sessions]
[End-of-programme report with attendance and feedback]
2. Not included
[Sessions for more than 12 people]
[Accredited certification]
[Workshops rescheduled with under five working days’ notice]
3. Client responsibilities
[A named contact who can confirm dates and attendees]
[Attendee names two weeks before each session]
[A suitable room, or approval to hire one]
If the Client’s inputs are late, delivery dates move by the same amount of time.
4. Fees and payment
Fee: [Amount and basis — fixed, hourly, day rate or monthly]
Deposit: [e.g. 30% before work starts]
Payment terms: [e.g. invoices due within 14 days]
Expenses: [Charged at cost with prior approval / included]
Late payment: [Interest or right to pause work, as allowed by law]
5. Changes to the scope
Either party can request changes in writing. The provider will confirm the effect on fees and timeline before starting any change.
6. Rescheduling
A session moved with at least five working days’ notice is rescheduled at no charge. With less notice, the session fee is payable in full.
7. Materials
The provider keeps ownership of its training materials. The client may use the copies supplied for its own staff but may not resell or publish them.
8. Substitution
If the named trainer is unavailable, the provider may supply another trainer of equal experience, with the client’s agreement.
9. Confidentiality
Each party keeps the other’s confidential information private and uses it only to perform this agreement, during the agreement and for [2] years after it ends.
10. Liability
[Limit each party’s total liability, e.g. to the fees paid under this agreement in the previous 12 months, and exclude indirect losses, to the extent the law allows. Have a lawyer draft this clause for your jurisdiction.]
11. Term and termination
This agreement starts on the effective date and continues until the services are complete, unless ended earlier.
Either party may end it with [14] days’ written notice.
Either party may end it immediately if the other materially breaches it and doesn’t fix the breach within [10] days of notice.
On termination, the Client pays for work done up to the termination date.
12. Independent contractor
The provider is an independent business, not an employee, and is responsible for their own taxes and insurance.
General
Entire agreement: this agreement (and any statements of work under it) is the whole agreement between the parties on its subject.
Changes: changes to this agreement must be in writing and signed by both parties.
Notices: notices are sent to the email addresses above, or as updated in writing.
Governing law: this agreement is governed by the laws of [jurisdiction], and the courts of [jurisdiction] have jurisdiction.
Signatures
[Party A]
[Party B]
Name
Title
Signature
Date
How to fill it in
Fill in both parties’ legal names and addresses, and the effective date.
Describe the services and deliverables, or reference a signed statement of work.
List exclusions and the client’s responsibilities, with dates where they affect yours.
Set the fee, deposit, payment terms, expenses and late payment terms.
Review the service-specific clauses, such as rescheduling, and adapt them to the project.
Have a lawyer review the template for your jurisdiction, then sign it before work starts.
Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
PDF
Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).
Angelwood’s proposal software builds proposals and agreements from your own templates, shows when the client has opened them and collects e-signatures, with a countersignature to execute the agreement.
What makes a simple service contract enforceable?+
Named parties, a clear description of the services, the price and payment terms, and signatures from people authorised to sign. Requirements vary by country and state, so have a lawyer review the template before you rely on it.
Should a small service business use a contract for every job?+
For anything beyond a one-off, low-value task, yes. A short contract that states scope, price, payment dates and cancellation terms prevents most disputes, and a longer one is rarely needed for routine work.
Is a contract template legally binding?+
A template becomes binding once the parties agree and sign it, if it meets the legal requirements where you are. Whether it protects you depends on what it says, so have a lawyer review it for your jurisdiction.
Can contracts be signed electronically?+
In most countries, yes: electronic signatures are generally valid for business contracts like this one, with some exceptions for specific document types. Check the rules that apply to you.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?+
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?+
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.