Professional Services Consulting Agreement

Verbal agreements and handshakes may be suitable for some business transactions, but they can become liabilities when consultants and clients realize that they disagree on the specifics of a project. If you're a consultant or working for a consulting organization, asking your clients to sign a legal contract can help clarify goals and avoid sticky issues down the line.

A contract lays the groundwork for your relationship with a client. It details how you're going to interact and determines where who is responsible for which deliverables. Contracts also define the boundaries of responsibility for each party and identify a course of action if either party isn't satisfied, according to Helen Seal, Associate Director of TechCommons.

"Contracts can seem officious and time consuming, but if things go wrong, you'll regret skimping on this consulting essential," said Seal.

Though large and legalistic documents like CompuMentor's Professional Services Consulting Agreement, below, can get in the way of developing trust with a client, that doesn't mean you shouldn't have anything on paper at all.

Before sending this contract to your client, be sure to fill in the information within the angle brackets -- your organization name, the name of the organization contracting your services, and the name of the project. You'll also need to input your fees, your deliverables, staff hours, estimated project costs, and other information that's relevant to your project.

Along with the actual contract, you'll also need documents (often attached as "exhibits") that lay out the financial remunerations and the work that will be performed.