SCOPE OF WORK GUIDE

You have a great new services agreement, and now you need to craft the right language for your custom scopes of work, detailing the services, deliverables, and fees for each unique client and/or project. Here is a quick breakdown of best practices on drafting a comprehensive and clear scope of work:

1. Client

Identify the client, whether they are an individual, corporation, LLC, or other business entity.

2. Point of Contact

It is also helpful to identify a point-of-contact so there isn’t any ambiguity about who is giving you instructions. This should include their contact information, like an e-mail and phone number.

3. Services

You should clearly outline the scope of your services, including any phases of the project. If there are limitations on the services, such as a time cap, number of rounds of revisions, or other limitations, you should identify those so there is no confusion about what is or isn’t included in your fee.

4. Deliverables

Identifying deliverables is just as important as identifying the services. Ultimately, what do you owe the client? This may also be important if your contract assigns the client certain intellectual property rights to the deliverables.

5. Fees

How are you getting paid? Is it a flat fee, hourly fee, a retainer, royalties, or some combination? When are the payments owed? If applicable, it can be helpful to itemize fees in connection with different deliverables or parts of the project. That way if the project changes midway everyone has a better idea how that might affect fees.

6. Term and Timeline

How long does the project last? If it is a retainer project, is there a minimum number of months the client is committed to? You may want to include estimates about how long different phases of the project will last, but it can be helpful to classify timelines as estimates so that you are not in breach in the event of a reasonable delay.

7. When to Get Help

Although you may be able to draft of a scope of work without legal help, you can always reach out to us for assistance. I definitely recommend getting assistance if the scope of work includes new legal rules, like (1) profit sharing or commission compensation, (2) equity compensation, (3) nuanced licensing rules, or (4) any other new legal term that goes beyond basic services and fee terms.

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