Every engagement rests on a set of ground rules: who’s responsible for what, how and when you’re paid, what stays confidential, and how either side can end the relationship. A client service agreement puts those rules in writing once, so you’re not renegotiating them with every new piece of work.
Use the structure below as your firm’s standard service agreement. Sign it once with a new client, then attach an engagement letter for each specific engagement underneath it.
The client service agreement template
1. Parties & effective date
- Your firm’s legal name and the client’s legal name
- The date the agreement takes effect
2. Services
- The general nature of services provided under this agreement
- A note that specific scope and fees are set out in engagement letters that reference this agreement
3. Responsibilities
- Your firm — the standard of care, professional obligations, and how you’ll communicate
- The client — providing complete and accurate information, timely responses, and access to records
- A clear statement that the work relies on the information the client provides
4. Fees & payment
- How fees are set (per the relevant engagement letter)
- Billing cadence and payment terms
- Late payment terms and what happens if an account falls overdue
- Whether work can be paused for non-payment
5. Confidentiality & data
- Mutual confidentiality of information shared
- How you store and protect client data
- How client records are handled and returned
6. Ownership of work & records
- Who owns work product and working papers
- What the client receives on request or at the end of the engagement
7. Limitation of liability
- A reasonable cap and exclusions (have this reviewed for your jurisdiction)
- Reliance on client-provided information
8. Term & termination
- That the agreement continues until ended by either party
- Notice period for termination
- What happens on termination: final billing, return of records, transition
9. Governing law
- The jurisdiction whose law governs the agreement
10. Signatures
- Signature blocks and dates for both parties
How to use this service agreement
Treat this as the umbrella document and keep the per-job detail in engagement letters, it stops you re-drafting standard terms every time you take on new work. Adapt the liability, confidentiality, and governing-law clauses to your jurisdiction, and have a professional review it before you use it. When a relationship ends, a client termination letter handles the offboarding cleanly.
Send and sign agreements in Tidyflow
In Tidyflow, send the service agreement for electronic signature and get it back signed with a timestamped audit trail, no printing, scanning, or chasing. The signed agreement is stored against the client’s file alongside their engagement letters and everything else you hold for them.