Are electronic signatures valid?

Yes. Electronic signatures are generally enforceable under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA where adopted; ensure intent, consent, attribution, and retention are documented to meet the legal test.

Does the agreement need notarization?

Most commercial client agreements do not require notarization. Notarization or witnesses are only needed if state law or a specific clause requires it, or for certain attached documents.

How do I amend an executed agreement?

Create a written amendment signed by authorized representatives of both parties, reference the original agreement date, and retain the amendment with the original executed file for clarity.

What if a signer lacks authority?

If a signer lacks authority the agreement may be voidable; verify authority through board resolutions, purchase orders, or a signature authority matrix before final execution.

How long should I keep the signed contract?

Retain the executed agreement for the active term plus at least three years; industry rules like HIPAA or IRS regulations may mandate longer retention.

Can a signed agreement be revoked?

Revocation depends on contract terms and applicable law; for electronic signatures, follow the contract's termination provisions and document the revocation in writing with agreement from both parties when possible.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Miscellaneous
Business Client Agreement Template

Business Client Agreement Template

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

BUSINESS CLIENT AGREEMENT

This Business Client Agreement ("Agreement") is made and entered into as of by and between:

Client Name: Client Address:

Service Provider Name: Provider Address:

WHEREAS

WHEREAS, Client desires to retain Provider to perform certain professional services as set forth in this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, Provider represents that it has the experience, personnel, and capability to perform the services described in this Agreement in a professional and workmanlike manner; and

WHEREAS, the parties wish to set forth the terms and conditions under which Provider will perform such services and Client will pay for those services.

SCOPE OF WORK

Description of Services

Provider shall perform the services described above in accordance with any schedule specified in this Agreement and shall assign appropriately qualified personnel. Changes to the scope shall be made only by written change order signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

PAYMENT TERMS

Total Fee Deposit / Retainer Payment Schedule / Invoicing

Unless otherwise agreed, Client shall pay invoiced amounts within days of receipt of an undisputed invoice. Provider shall submit invoices in reasonable detail to permit Client to verify charges.

Late Payment Fee

Any overdue amount shall accrue interest at the lesser of (i) per month, or (ii) the maximum rate permitted by applicable law. Alternatively, the parties may specify a flat late fee of for each instance of payment more than days late.

All fees are exclusive of taxes. Client shall pay any applicable taxes, except taxes based on Provider's net income. Provider shall be responsible for withholding and other employment-related obligations for its employees.

TERM AND TERMINATION

The term of this Agreement shall commence on Start Date: and, unless earlier terminated as provided herein, shall continue until End Date: .

Either party may terminate this Agreement for convenience upon written notice to the other party delivered at least days prior to the intended termination date. Either party may terminate immediately for cause in the event of a material breach that remains uncured for thirty (30) days following written notice of such breach.

Upon termination, Client shall pay Provider for all services performed and expenses incurred through the effective date of termination plus any non-cancellable obligations incurred by Provider in performance of the services.

CONFIDENTIALITY

"Confidential Information" means nonpublic information disclosed by either party to the other party that is designated as confidential or that, under the circumstances of disclosure, ought reasonably to be treated as confidential. Each party shall: (a) protect Confidential Information of the other with at least the same degree of care it uses to protect its own confidential information, but no less than reasonable care; (b) use Confidential Information solely to perform its obligations under this Agreement; and (c) not disclose Confidential Information to any third party except as permitted by this Agreement or with the disclosing party's prior written consent.

The obligations set forth in this section shall survive termination of this Agreement for a period of years, except for trade secrets which shall remain protected for as long as they qualify as trade secrets under applicable law.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Provider shall retain ownership of all pre-existing intellectual property and any tools, processes, or methodologies used in performing the services. Client shall own deliverables specifically created for Client and paid for in full under this Agreement, subject to Provider's ownership of any pre-existing materials and to any third-party licenses. The parties shall grant each other only the licenses expressly set forth in this Agreement.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNITY

Except for liability arising from a party's gross negligence, willful misconduct, or breach of confidentiality, neither party shall be liable to the other for punitive, incidental, consequential, or indirect damages, including loss of profits. Each party agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the other party from claims arising out of the indemnifying party's negligence or willful misconduct in performing its obligations under this Agreement.

GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of without regard to its conflicts of law principles. The parties hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in that State for the resolution of disputes arising under this Agreement.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This Agreement, including any exhibits or attachments executed by the parties, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter herein and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals, negotiations, and communications, whether written or oral. Any amendment or modification to this Agreement must be in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

MISCELLANEOUS

If any provision of this Agreement is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. Neither party may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party, except that Provider may assign to an affiliate or in connection with a merger or sale of substantially all of its assets.

Additional Terms (optional)

Client:

By:

Date:

Service Provider:

By:

Date:

What the Business Client Agreement Template Covers

A Business Client Agreement Template is a standardized contract that defines the relationship, scope of services, payment terms, responsibilities, confidentiality, and dispute resolution between a service provider and a client. It saves time by using predefined clauses, reduces drafting errors, and ensures consistent terms across engagements. Organizations typically adapt the template for industry- or state-specific requirements, add exhibits or schedules for fees and deliverables, and obtain signatures from authorized representatives to create an enforceable contract.

Why use a formal template for client engagements

A template speeds negotiation, ensures essential protections are present, and creates consistent records useful for compliance and dispute avoidance. Using a standard form reduces drafting time and supports reliable signature capture and retention under ESIGN (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA (1999).

Who typically completes a Business Client Agreement

Multiple roles participate: sales, legal, finance, and the client contact usually collaborate to finalize terms before signatures.

Account managers and sales leaders who negotiate scope and pricing for new engagements.
In-house counsel or contract specialists who review liability, IP, and compliance clauses.
Finance or billing contacts who confirm payment terms, invoicing intervals, and penalties.

Final signatories should be authorized representatives with contracting authority for their organization, and countersignature procedures should be documented.

Core sections to include in a robust template

A well-drafted Business Client Agreement groups essential clauses so parties can quickly find obligations, milestones, and remedies while keeping legal risk visible and manageable.

Parties

Identify full legal names and entity types for each party, including business addresses and a designated contract point of contact to avoid ambiguity.

Scope

Describe services or deliverables in clear, measurable terms, reference any attached statement of work, and note acceptance criteria and milestone dates where applicable.

Payment

Specify fees, billing frequency, due dates, late-payment interest, expense reimbursement, and any retainers or milestone-based payment schedule.

Term & Termination

State effective and expiration dates, renewal mechanics, and termination rights for convenience or breach, plus obligations that survive termination.

IP & Confidentiality

Allocate ownership of preexisting and created IP, and include nondisclosure obligations, permitted disclosures, and return or destruction procedures for confidential materials.

Liability

Limitations of liability, indemnities, insurance requirements, and caps should be clear, balanced, and aligned with commercial risk in the engagement.

Step-by-step: preparing and finalizing the agreement

Follow a consistent sequence to reduce review cycles and ensure the document is enforceable and fully executed.

01

Draft: Populate the template with transaction-specific details and attach exhibits.
02

Internal Review: Legal and finance review for risk allocation and payment accuracy.
03

Client Review: Send to client for comment and negotiate any changes.
04

Execute: Collect authorized signatures, date the agreement, and distribute final copies to all parties.

Configuring an online signature workflow

Set fields, signer order, and authentication before sending to reduce errors and accelerate completion.

Field	Configuration
Signature Field	Assign to primary signer; include date field linked to signature.
Initials Field	Place at page corners where acceptance checkpoints are needed.
Conditional Clauses	Show or hide optional sections based on earlier selections to avoid irrelevant obligations.
Authentication Method	Choose email link, SMS code, or advanced ID verification per client risk level.

Where to send executed agreements and how routing works

Establish a single distribution plan so every executed copy is archived and stakeholders are notified automatically after signing.

Authorized Signer: Send to the designated company representative for signature first.
Counterparty: Forward to the client contact for review and signature second.
Internal Archive: Save a final executed copy in the contract repository for compliance and audits.
Accounting: Notify finance to set up invoicing and payment schedules after execution.

Digital signing and distribution: technical considerations

Confirm the platform supports your authentication, audit trail, and storage needs before sending for signature.

Authentication: Email, SMS, or multi-factor options.
Audit Trail: Timestamps, IP, and action history.
Integrations: CRM and cloud storage connectors.

Typical timing and response deadlines in client agreements

Define timeframes in the template so both sides can track obligations and trigger events like renewals, notices, and payments.

Effective Date and Term:

Effective date starts obligations; term states duration and any automatic renewal language.

Payment Due Dates:

Specify invoice due dates and consequences for late payment to avoid disputes.

Delivery Milestones:

Include schedule dates and acceptance windows for deliverables.

Termination Notice:

State required notice period for convenience or material breach termination.

Renewal Deadlines:

Specify notice deadlines to opt out of auto-renewal, often 30–90 days.

Common preparation and execution pitfalls to avoid

Leaving scope undefined or vague, which leads to disputes over deliverables, timelines, and billing.
Mismatched party names or signer authority that creates enforceability or payment-processing delays.
Not aligning payment terms with project milestones, increasing cash-flow risk and collection disputes.
Failing to retain a signed copy centrally, complicating audits and contract performance reviews.

Key legal and commercial risks of an incomplete or incorrect agreement

Unenforceable Terms: Ambiguity can render clauses void.

Payment Disputes: Vague fees lead to collection issues.

Regulatory Noncompliance: Missing HIPAA or sector clauses risks penalties.

Liability Exposure: Absent caps increases financial risk.

Tax Withholding: Incorrect party classification can trigger withholding.

Operational Delay: Execution errors delay project start.

Real-world examples of how organizations use the template

Practical examples show how the template adapts to different firm sizes and industries while preserving core protections.

Optica Ventures — COO

A small services firm standardized its client agreement to reduce custom drafting time by consolidating terms across clients and projects.

The team used a single SOW attachment for task detail.
This approach reduced negotiation cycles, improved billing consistency, and made renewals predictable for both parties, with fewer disputes over scope and timely invoicing enabling steadier cash flow.

Martin Properties — Founder

A mid-sized property services company moved to a template with clear milestone payments tied to deliverables.

They required acceptance criteria for each milestone.
Clear acceptance and payment linkage sped collections, lowered disputes, and provided transparent expectations for subcontractors and clients, simplifying budget forecasting and reducing administrative follow-up.

Common eSignature vendor pricing and feature comparison

Basic vendor pricing and feature availability for eSignature platforms used to execute Business Client Agreement Templates; signNow is listed first per platform comparison convention.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	Yes, 7-day trial	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Frequently asked questions about the Business Client Agreement Template

Answers to common questions about enforceability, signatures, revisions, notarization, and recordkeeping when using a Business Client Agreement Template.

Need help? Contact support

Are electronic signatures valid?
Yes. Electronic signatures are generally enforceable under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA where adopted; ensure intent, consent, attribution, and retention are documented to meet the legal test.
Does the agreement need notarization?
Most commercial client agreements do not require notarization. Notarization or witnesses are only needed if state law or a specific clause requires it, or for certain attached documents.
How do I amend an executed agreement?
Create a written amendment signed by authorized representatives of both parties, reference the original agreement date, and retain the amendment with the original executed file for clarity.
What if a signer lacks authority?
If a signer lacks authority the agreement may be voidable; verify authority through board resolutions, purchase orders, or a signature authority matrix before final execution.
How long should I keep the signed contract?
Retain the executed agreement for the active term plus at least three years; industry rules like HIPAA or IRS regulations may mandate longer retention.
Can a signed agreement be revoked?
Revocation depends on contract terms and applicable law; for electronic signatures, follow the contract's termination provisions and document the revocation in writing with agreement from both parties when possible.

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