A Consulting Contract, also referred to as Consulting Agreement, Business Consulting Agreement, and Consulting Services Agreement, is a contract between a consultant and a client that spells out the terms and conditions related to the type of consulting services that the consultant is going to provide. It defines the scope of the services that usually includes the consultant’s commitment to spend the minimum amount of time per week at the client’s business location and to conduct a research, develop new strategies, and implement the new strategies. It also contains the commitments made by client to the consultant, including offering full access to propriety documents, providing sufficient time to meet the consultant, and providing the payment for the services.
After all terms and conditions in the contract are agreed by both the consultant and the client, the contract should be reviewed by an expert. In this case a lawyer is the right choice. Then, the contract can be signed. A Consulting Contract should be made in a written form because it is easier to be enforced. When a party cannot meet one of the items mentioned in the contract, the other party can easily ask for the commitment because a written contract is bound by law.
Who Needs a Consulting Contract?
You may need a Consulting Contract if:
• You are a consultant who is going to provide a consulting service to a client
• You are hiring an outside expert to provide a consulting service to your business
Important Things to Include in a Consulting Contract
If you are currently trying to write a Consulting Contracts, here are some important things that must be included in your contract:
• Background and Services – It is important to include the background of the consultant and what service they are going to provide.
• Payment – How the client will pay the consultant should be explained clearly because it becomes the basic information when a payment problem occurs in the future.
• Support and Reimbursement – The consultant might receive some facilities from the client such as a company car or a secretary. The type of the facilities must be clearly mentioned in the contract. If the consultant is allowed to reimburse all expenses they incur during their time of services, you need to explicitly mention in the agreement.
• Liability – You need to clearly define the type of responsibilities and insurance you could provide to the consultant in case of an unexpected condition.
This one below is a sample you can use for your reference.
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