Contracts FAQ
How your contracts work – answers to the questions freelancers, coaches and SMEs ask most often.
General Contract Questions
Q. When does my contract with a client actually start?
Your contract starts when there is an offer, clear acceptance, payment (or a promise to pay), an intention to create legal relations and definite written terms. For these templates, that usually means your client has received your Proposal or Programme Outline plus your Terms of Business and has clearly agreed to them in writing.
Q. What counts as acceptance – do clients have to sign?
A signed document or e-signature is best, but a clear written "yes" will usually form a binding contract too. This might be an email confirming they agree to your Proposal or Programme Outline "subject to" your attached Terms of Business, or clicking to accept through an e-signature platform.
Q. How should I actually send my legal documents?
The safest sequence is: send your Proposal or Programme Outline, your standard Terms of Business and your privacy notice together, and state in your email that they form the contract if the client confirms. Then keep the confirmation email or signed copy with your records so you can show exactly what was agreed.
Q. Can I start work before everything is signed off?
You can, but it increases the risk of disputes about scope, price and cancellation. Ideally you should wait until the client has clearly accepted in writing; if you must start sooner, at least make sure they have the Proposal or Programme Outline and Terms of Business and have replied clearly to say they agree.
Q. Why do I need both a Proposal/Programme Outline and Terms of Business?
The Proposal or Programme Outline holds the commercial details for that specific project or package – what you will do, timelines, fees and payment structure. The Terms of Business contain the core legal protections around intellectual property, liability, cancellations and dispute resolution that you keep consistent across all clients. Used together, they give you a clear, joined-up contract for any niche.
Q. Are email and e-signature contracts valid in the UK?
Yes. For most day-to-day UK service businesses, contracts agreed by email or signed using an e-signature platform are legally effective, as long as they show the client's intention to be bound and there is a reliable process (for example, named signatories, date and copy of the final documents).
Q. What if my marketing, sales page or social posts say something different?
Your written Proposal or Programme Outline and Terms of Business should always take priority over older marketing or social media content. That is why the templates are designed so those documents sit at the centre of the deal and give both sides a single, up-to-date version of what has actually been agreed.
Trading Terms (T&Cs for UK sellers)
View all 22 Trading Terms FAQs →Q. I only have a small website — do I really need T&Cs?
If you're taking money or bookings from UK customers online, you're running distance contracts and the law wants written information about price, delivery, cancellation rights and complaints, plus data-protection basics. CCR 2013 guidance and CRA 2015 both assume you have clear terms somewhere your customer can save. The generator gives you a structure so you're not relying on scattered email chains and vibes.
Do I need T&Cs? — read the checklist →Q. Can this handle both consumer and business customers in one set of terms?
Yes. If you pick "both" at the party-basis step, the document includes clauses tailored to consumers where the law requires extra protection and a different approach to liability, and separate language that applies when your customer is another business. CRA 2015 applies only to consumers; your business-to-business sales sit under ordinary contract law, so the document makes that distinction clear.
B2B vs B2C terms — read more →Q. Do I always have to offer a 14-day cooling-off period?
You must usually offer consumers a cancellation period for most distance and off-premises contracts, but the Consumer Contracts Regulations carve out made-to-order goods and certain leisure or time-specific services, and treat digital content with immediate access differently. CCRs 2013 let you shorten or remove that right in some scenarios if you follow the rules, get clear consent and explain the consequences up front. The generator asks how you sell, then switches the right cooling-off language on for the combinations that actually apply.
Read the 14-day rule explainer →Q. What's the deposit module and when should I switch it on?
The deposit module lets you choose between fully refundable, part-refundable or genuinely non-refundable deposits. Under consumer law, a deposit you intend to keep must be proportionate and linked to your actual loss, not a random penalty for changing their mind. CRA 2015 and CMA guidance both expect fairness. The generator asks how you treat deposits in real life, then aligns the wording with your answer so you're not promising refunds you never actually give.
Read the deposits guide →Creatives & Makers
View templates →Q. Who are these creative services contract templates designed for?
They're aimed at UK-based marketing, design, digital and creative businesses working B2B – for example studios, agencies, freelancers with company clients, and consultants handling branding, web, content or campaigns.
See the contract checklist for creatives →Q. How do the Scope of Work templates work with the main terms?
For each project you complete a Scope of Work that spells out services, deliverables, timelines, fees, payment schedule and client responsibilities, and you send it with your Consultancy Terms of Business and privacy notice. Once the client confirms in writing, those documents together form the contract for that project or retainer.
Q. Do these templates protect my intellectual property and portfolio rights?
Yes. The terms distinguish between client materials, your internal tools and the final deliverables. Clients keep ownership of what they bring and, once paid, own the finished work created for them, while you retain ownership of your templates, frameworks and processes and can usually show non-confidential work in your portfolio unless a client asks you not to.
Read more about IP and portfolio rights →Q. Will this help with scope creep and endless revision rounds?
That's one of the main purposes of the pack. The Scope of Work templates push you to be specific about deliverables, revision rounds included, assumptions and what counts as extra work, and the terms explain how changes and out-of-scope requests will be agreed and charged. This makes it much easier to hold the line when a project starts to grow.
Learn how to stop scope creep →Q. Can I tweak the clauses for different clients or sectors?
You can safely adjust commercial details – for example project fees, invoice stages, notice periods and revision limits – so they match each job. The guidance flags more sensitive areas to treat carefully, such as IP ownership, liability caps, indemnities and data-protection language. If a big client wants heavy changes there, it's usually worth getting specific advice rather than editing on the fly.
Business & Executive Coaching
View templates →Q. Who are these business coaching contract templates designed for?
They're built for UK business, executive and leadership coaches working B2B with companies, founders and senior teams – including 1:1 executive coaching, leadership cohorts and in-house programmes.
Q. Can I use this pack if I also coach individual consumers?
Yes, but you should use the business coaching terms only when your client is a business buying in the course of business, and switch to the separate wellness/life coaching terms when you work with individual consumers. The pack is structured so you can keep those two sets of contracts clearly separate.
Q. How do the Programme Outline templates work with the main terms?
For each engagement you complete a short Programme Outline that sets out the practical details – who you're coaching, number and length of sessions, format, timing, fees and invoice schedule – and you send it alongside the Business Coaching Terms of Business and your privacy notice. Once the client confirms in writing, the Outline and the terms together form your contract.
Q. Do these templates cover things like no guarantees and non-regulated advice?
Yes. The terms explain that business coaching is a thought-provoking, goal-focused process and that you are not providing regulated financial, legal, tax, HR or investment advice, nor guaranteeing specific commercial outcomes like revenue growth or fundraising success. This helps you stay in a coaching role and manage expectations with corporate clients.
Q. Can I change the clauses, or will that break the contract?
You can safely customise commercial details such as session numbers, fees, notice periods and invoice schedules in the Programme Outline, but the guide flags key areas to treat with care – particularly the no-guarantees wording, confidentiality and IP, late-payment protections and the liability cap. If a large client pushes for big changes in those areas, that's the point to get bespoke advice rather than guessing.
Wellness & Life Coaching
View templates →Q. Who is this wellness coaching legal pack designed for?
It's for UK life, wellbeing and wellness coaches who work mainly with individual consumers, often online – for example mindset coaches, life coaches, health and wellness coaches, and small group programme or retreat hosts.
See the legal checklist for new wellness coaches →Q. How is this different from the business coaching contracts?
The wellness pack is written with consumer law and safeguarding in mind. It explains what coaching is and isn't, deals with cooling-off rights for online sales, and includes strong wording around suitability, disclosure and when you may need to pause or end a programme for safety reasons. The business coaching terms are for B2B corporate work only.
Q. Do the terms explain that coaching is not therapy or medical treatment?
Yes. The contract states that coaching supports personal development and wellbeing but is not medical, psychological, therapeutic, financial or legal advice and is not a substitute for counselling, medical treatment or crisis support. Clients remain responsible for their own health and decisions and are encouraged to seek appropriate professional help where needed.
Learn how to communicate your scope safely →Q. How do cancellations and cooling-off periods work for my clients?
The terms include a clear cooling-off section for distance and online sales, explaining when clients can change their mind and when that right is lost if they ask you to start services within the cooling-off period. There's also a sliding-scale cancellation policy for programmes and retreats, plus wording on what happens if someone drops out after the programme has started.
Read more about coaching terms and conditions →Q. What happens if I'm worried a client isn't safe or the programme isn't suitable?
The pack gives you the ability to pause or end a client's place if you reasonably believe continuing would be unsafe or inappropriate for them, you or other participants. It also encourages you to signpost clients towards medical, therapeutic or crisis-support services, and makes clear that you're not responsible for arranging that external support.
Read about drawing the line in wellness coaching →People & HR
View templates →Q. Do I legally need an employee handbook in the UK?
No, there's no legal requirement to have a handbook, but you must give a written statement of terms (your contract) and certain key information by law. A handbook is the neat place to put your day-to-day rules and processes (holidays, sickness, conduct, IT, etc.) so you're not constantly rewriting contracts.
See the essential HR documents for UK businesses →Q. What's the difference between the contracts, the handbook and the add-on policies?
Your contracts cover the essential legal terms for each person – job, pay, hours, holidays, notice, etc. The Core Staff Handbook gives you a short, non-contractual set of rules and expectations that apply across the business, while the add-on policies go deeper into specific topics like flexible working, home-working, lone working or social media.
Learn about joined-up employment documents →Q. Are these documents "ready to use" out of the box?
They're ready-to-edit rather than ready-to-sign. You get plain-English Word templates plus How-To notes so you can tailor them yourself – for example, choosing how you handle sickness reporting, shift notice or hybrid working. You stay in control of the final wording and make sure it matches how your business actually runs.
Read about using HR templates safely →Q. Do these templates count as legal advice?
No. These are self-serve templates, not individual legal advice. They're built around current UK law and best practice for SMEs, but you remain responsible for tailoring, implementing and keeping them up to date – and for getting your own advice when you're dealing with disputes, dismissals or other contentious issues.
Q. How do I customise the documents for my business?
You work through the [square bracket] prompts and options in Word, and follow the How-To guides for each contract or policy. You delete what you don't use, fill in the blanks (for example job titles, pay dates, notice periods) and tweak the examples so they mirror your real-world processes, then keep everything consistent across contracts, handbook and add-ons.
Q. What's included in the Core Staff Handbook?
The handbook covers the absolute essentials most UK SMEs need: how the handbook works, working hours and pay, time off and sickness, behaviour and performance, equality and dignity at work, IT/data/monitoring, health & safety and leaving the business. It also signposts where you might later plug in extra policies – for example detailed flexible-working, home-working, disciplinary and grievance, lone working or social media rules.
Q. How do the individual policy add-ons work?
Each add-on is a short Word policy (or pack of related policies) in the same plain-English style, with its own How-To note. You only buy the topics you actually use – for example Working Patterns & Flexibility, Health, Safety & Lone Working, or Social Media & Monitoring – and plug them into the handbook when you're ready.
Read about working pattern policies →Q. Will these documents keep me compliant with UK employment law?
They're designed around core UK requirements and Acas-style good practice, so they give you a solid baseline. But law and guidance change, and every business is different, so you still need to keep an eye on updates (for example working time, family-friendly rights, H&S and data protection) and adjust your documents when things move.
Read about the Employment Rights Bill →Q. What support is available if I get stuck?
The pack includes "How-To" guides that walk you through the key choices and danger points for each contract and policy. If you want hands-on help or 1:1 advice, you can work directly with an HR or employment law adviser such as Electra HR, but that sits outside the fixed document price.
Q. I already have some HR documents – can I just add the handbook and policies on top?
Yes. Many SMEs already have basic contracts or piecemeal policies. You can use these templates to fill the gaps, tighten up messy areas and bring everything into one joined-up, consistent set – just make sure you resolve any clashes between old and new documents before you issue them to staff.
Subs & Support (Contractor Agreements)
View templates →Q. What's included in the Contractor Agreement Pack?
The pack is a complete, joined-up system for engaging freelancers, associates and contractors on a B2B basis. It ships today with all 10 documents: a Company–Company Contractor Agreement (for contractors who operate through a limited company or LLP), both Sole Trader Contractor Agreements (client + contractor side), a Schedule of Services template (one per engagement — covers scope, deliverables, fees and timelines), a Consultant's Side Letter, an IR35 / Employment-Status Checklist, a Quick Start Guide, a Contractor Engagement Checklist, the '5 Signs Your Freelancer Might Actually Be an Employee' summary, and Managers' Guidance — Engaging Freelancers, Associates & Contractors. One purchase, full system, no upsell.
Get the Contractor Agreement Pack →Q. When do I use the Company–Company version vs the Sole Trader version?
It depends on how the contractor is set up. If they trade through their own limited company or LLP (sometimes called a PSC — personal service company), use the Company–Company Contractor Agreement. If they are an individual trading in their own name (a sole trader), use the Sole Trader Contractor Agreement instead. The two versions cover the same ground — scope, fees, IP, confidentiality, status, liability — but the legal entity, tax-indemnity wording and off-payroll provisions differ to reflect how HMRC treats each structure. If you're not sure which one applies, ask the contractor for their business details before you start.
Q. Do I need a separate Schedule of Services for each project?
Yes. The Contractor Agreement sets out your standing legal terms — think of it as the framework. The Schedule of Services is where you pin down what this particular engagement involves: services, deliverables, key dates, fees and any special terms. Complete one Schedule per engagement or distinct piece of work. If the scope changes significantly later, or you bring the same contractor back for something new, agree a fresh Schedule rather than bolting extras onto the old one. That keeps your audit trail clean and reduces scope-creep arguments.
Q. Is this pack suitable for IR35 compliance?
The agreements are designed to support a genuine self-employment structure: they include substitution rights, no mutuality of obligation, clear project-based scope and no control over how the work is done. The IR35 / Employment-Status Checklist helps you assess risk before each engagement. However, contracts alone are never enough — HMRC and tribunals look at what actually happens in practice, not just what the paperwork says. This pack is not a formal status determination tool and does not replace HMRC's CEST tool or tailored legal advice. If your business is medium or large for off-payroll purposes, you still need to issue a Status Determination Statement.
Q. Can I use these templates more than once?
Yes — use them as many times as you like, for as many contractors as you need, within a single business. There's no per-use or per-contractor limit. The only restriction is that you cannot resell, redistribute, publish or share the templates (or any adapted versions) as your own product, or make them available for others to download. If you run more than one business and want to use the pack in each, you'll need a separate licence for each entity.
Q. What if I'm a freelancer, not a business hiring one?
This pack is designed for the hiring side — the business engaging contractors. If you're a freelancer or consultant who wants your own professional terms of business to send to your clients, take a look at our Sole Trader Terms of Business instead. That's written from your perspective (you = 'we', your client = 'you') and covers the same essentials: scope, fees, IP, confidentiality, status, liability and late payment. It's available as a separate standalone product.
See Sole Trader Terms of Business →