A contract for services is a contract by which a provider of services agrees to provide a service to a client in exchange for a payment.
For example, it could be a contract with a maintenance company for snow removal from a driveway or a contract with an accountant to prepare financial statements for a business.
Other rules apply if the provider of services is considered to be an itinerant (door-to-door) merchant. Other rules also apply to certain types of contracts for services:
- contracts for telecommunications services (mobile or residential telephone service, cable or satellite television service, Internet access, etc.)
- dance classes, language classes and other training
- memberships in a gym or weight-loss clinic
Before entering into a contract, a cost estimate may be very useful: it gives the client a good idea of the amount she’ll have to pay for the service.
Next, a contract for services can be entered into verbally or in writing. However, it’s a good idea to confirm everything in writing. That way, if there are problems, it will be much easier to prove what the contract says: type of service, deadlines, price, permission to sub-contract, etc.
Once it is entered into, a contract for services generates rights and responsibilities for both the provider of services and the client.