Service Agreement

A Service Agreement You Can Count On

It’s 4:32 pm, and you’ve just found the perfect new client. You want to start working with them tomorrow. But you’re stuck. You want everything clear and legal – and you don’t have a contract.

Grab our Service Agreement template. In less than fifteen minutes, you’ll have the contract in your hands. It’s written by lawyers, so there’s no stressing about the legalities. Simply fill in your details, present it to your client, and do the deal today!

What is a Service Agreement?

A Service Agreement is a legal agreement between a service provider and a client. Service Agreements are very common and can be used in almost any industry,

If you run a service business and are looking for a contract for your clients, this is for you!

This contract covers all of the essential terms and conditions for working with a client – services, payment, confidentiality, and much more.

Who is this for?

• Service Providers
• Consultants
• Independent Contractors
• Freelancers
• Professionals
• Specialists
• All Australian States and Territories

What industries does the Service Agreement contract cover?

Our Service Agreement is very flexible – it can be used with almost any service business.

If you’re after a great all-around contract to cover the different services you offer, this contract is for you! The table on the first page can be easily customised for each client to list your services, scope, fees, and payment terms.

We also sell a number of industry-specific templates in our Shop.

What does this Service Agreement template include?

Our comprehensive Service Agreement template covers:

• Schedule – summary of your services (scope, deposit, payment etc.) on the first page
• Engagement and Term – acceptance of the agreement, the term of your services
• Scope of Services – the services you will provide to the client
• Fees and Expenses – how much you will charge
• Payment Terms – clear payment terms
• Client Responsibilities, Warranty and Indemnity – what you need from the client, plus important legal terms to protect you
• Works Standard and No Warranty – guarantee as to due care and skill
• Non-disparagement – protects your reputation
• Promotion – consent to use the client for promotion in your business (OPTIONAL)
• Confidentiality – to keep confidential information private
• Intellectual Property –  intellectual property rights for the works you create
• Limitation of Liability and Indemnity – to protect you against claims for losses and damages
• Termination – how either party can end the agreement
• Refunds and Credit – clear policy for refunds and credit
• Dispute Resolution – process to deal with any problems
• General – standard contract clauses such as Assignment, Severance, Entire Agreement, Waiver and Governing Law

Other names for a Service Agreement

• Services Agreement
• Consulting Services Agreement
• Consultancy Agreement
• Terms and Conditions
• Terms of Business
• Client Agreement
• Terms of Engagement
• Contractor Agreement
• Professional Services Agreement

Do I need a contract for my clients?

Heck yes. If you run your service business without a contract – you’re exposed. If something goes wrong, you have no fallback. Is that how you want to do business?

A contract protects both you and your clients.

It’s not about big legal words and getting the upper hand. It’s relationship insurance. A legally binding contract does the boring legal leg work, manages expectations, and provides certainty. That way, you can focus on what you want to achieve in your business.

Make sure your contract does the hard work for you.

How much should I charge?

It’s up to you to set your pricing and negotiate fees with the client you work for.

For a specific project, the client might like to have the cost certainty of a fixed fee, but it’s very common for service providers to charge out at an hourly rate or daily rate for regular work.

Some factors that can influence how much you charge include:

• the length of the project
• the skills required to do the job
• project scope or size

Subcontracting

Our Service Agreement allows you to subcontract one or more aspects of the services you provide to the client but requires you to remain the head contractor. This means that you will remain responsible for the subcontractor’s services.

Payment Terms & Deposit

You might decide to require a deposit from clients before you begin work. You can specify the deposit amount as a dollar figure or a percentage of the total estimated fees.

You are also free to set your own payment terms in your contract. This is a commercial decision and the payment terms you offer to clients may depend on a number of factors:

• your industry
• cashflow
• project size
• size of the client
• new vs existing client

Can I negotiate the key terms of the Service Agreement?

You bet!

Before you kick off your project, you should discuss the commercial terms with your client and negotiate a position that both parties are happy with.

Don’t forget to ensure that the terms you have agreed to are reflected in the final contract that both parties sign.