A general-purpose client agreement for any service-based creative business that doesn't fit neatly into a single vertical template — freelance consultants, designers, and multi-service studios included. Adapt the scope of work section to your specific service and you're ready to send.
This is a starting point, not legal advice. Contract laws vary by state, province, and country. Have a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction review this template — and adjust the bracketed terms — before you send it to a client or rely on it to protect your business.
Service Provider agrees to provide [describe service] to Client for [Project Name] beginning [Date] and estimated to complete by [Date].
Scope includes: [list specific deliverables]. Any additional work requested outside this scope will be quoted and confirmed in writing before starting.
This engagement is (check one and delete the other): [ ] Direct engagement — Service Provider is contracted directly by Client, the end recipient of the work, with no other business acting as an intermediary; or [ ] Subcontracted engagement — Service Provider is engaged by [Hiring Business/Agency/Production Company Name] ("Hiring Party") to perform work on behalf of Hiring Party's own client. Where subcontracted, Service Provider's contractual relationship is with Hiring Party only, and Hiring Party remains solely responsible for its own agreement with the end client, including that client's payment obligations.
Service Provider is an independent contractor, not an employee, partner, or agent of Client or Hiring Party. Service Provider is responsible for their own taxes (including self-employment tax), insurance, equipment, and business licensing. Nothing in this agreement creates a joint venture, partnership, or employment relationship, and Service Provider is not entitled to employee benefits of any kind.
Service Provider controls the manner and method of performing the work and may, where subcontracted, be identified to the end client as the person performing the work, subject to any confidentiality or non-disclosure terms separately agreed with Hiring Party.
Total fee: $[Amount], paid as: [X]% deposit at signing, remaining balance due upon completion or per the milestone schedule: [details].
Invoices are due within [X] days of receipt; late payments may incur a [X]% fee and pause active work.
Either party may terminate this agreement with [X] days' written notice. Work completed to date remains payable at the agreed rate.
Deposits are non-refundable once work has begun.
Client receives full rights to final approved deliverables upon full payment. Service Provider may reference completed work in their own portfolio unless Client requests otherwise in writing.
This agreement includes [X] rounds of revisions; additional rounds are billed at $[Amount]/hour.
Service Provider's total liability under this agreement is limited to the total fees paid by Client.
Neither party is liable for delays caused by circumstances outside their reasonable control.
Where this engagement is subcontracted through a Hiring Party, indemnification and insurance obligations run between Service Provider and Hiring Party as named in Section 2; Service Provider has no direct contractual relationship with, and assumes no liability toward, the end client unless separately agreed in writing.
This agreement is entered into by and between [Business Name] ("Service Provider") and [Client Name / Hiring Party Name] ("Client") as of [Date].
Service Provider Signature: _________________________ Date: _____________
Client Signature: _________________________ Date: _____________
Treat it as a starting point, not a finished legal document. Contract law varies by state, province, and country, and this template cannot account for every situation. Fill in the bracketed terms, then have a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction review it before you send it to a client or rely on it to protect your business.
In practice, none — both terms describe the same legally binding document. "Agreement" is sometimes used for more general-purpose or ongoing relationships, while "contract" is more common for project-specific work, but they serve the same function.
For high-value or complex engagements, yes — a template gets you a strong starting structure, but a lawyer familiar with your local laws and industry can catch gaps specific to your situation, especially around liability limits and IP ownership.
In many jurisdictions verbal agreements can be enforceable, but they're extremely difficult to prove and enforce in a dispute — a written agreement, even a short one, gives both parties clear terms to point back to.
Load this template into SupaBook to send clients a clean online link instead of an emailed PDF. Clients e-sign from any device — no printing, no account required. Every contract tracks its status (draft, awaiting signature, fully signed) against the client record, and each signature captures name, email, IP address, timestamp, and user agent. Plans start at $15/mo, with e-signature and contract tracking included on every plan.
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