Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Contract for Services definition

What does Contract for Services mean? An agreement under which a business or self‑employed individual supplies services to a client as an independent contractor, rather than as an employee. In legal practice, “contract for services” is a descriptive term (also called a services agreement) used across commercial, employment and tax contexts; it is not defined by statute, and its contrast with a “contract of service” has been developed through case law (including tests of control, personal service/substitution and mutuality of obligation). Typical features include: a scope/specification and deliverables, service levels, price and payment, milestones, IP ownership/licensing, confidentiality and data protection, warranties, indemnities, liability caps, insurance, change...

Charging and Funding Family Law Services: Contract Terms, SRA, Law Society and Legal Ombudsman Guidance, Fee Models and Payment Options (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note examines how family law services are priced and funded, addressing contractual terms, regulatory obligations under the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regime, and guidance from the Law Society and the Legal Ombudsman. It also considers charging models, including fixed Fees, hourly rates, blended rates, and approaches such as ‘unbundling’...

Contractual relationship

The service contract between solicitor and client is central to the professional relationship. Managed effectively, it can enhance standing; mishandled, it may strain the relationship and expose the firm to financial loss and reputational harm. This Practice Note outlines the core principles and practical management of fees and funding in family cases...

Cash flow underpins every practice. For family lawyers, the key questions are what to charge and the mechanism for doing so. A practice must remain profitable, as sustained unprofitability can jeopardise the firm. When reviewing charging, practitioners should consider:

The terms of business, namely the contractual relationship with the client
Payment structures for services, such as hourly rates, fixed fees, and similar models
How payments will be requested and received for the work undertaken

The foundation of the solicitor–client retainer is contractual...

To view the latest version of this document and thousands of others like it, sign-in with LexisNexis or register for a free trial.

Ursula Rice

Family First Solicitors Ltd

Ursula Rice is a solicitor and solicitor'advocate, practising in the field of family law. She is the owner and manager of Family First Solicitors Limited, a start- up firm specialising in family work. She was an early adopter of unbundled services, successfully marketing this innovative method of retaining and developing business since 2011. She has written and lectured on the business of family law for Resolution, SJ Live, the Law Society Gazette and various other publications and local radio. Ursula lectures for the University of West of England on the Legal Practice Course and takes a particular interest in the mentoring and development of young lawyers. Ursula is the press officer for the Oxfordshire regional branch of Resolution and the founder of the Family Duty Clinic, an Oxford Court based Law Works Pro Bono clinic and winner of the inaugural national Pro Bono Centre award...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

Popular documents

Using the Judicial College Guidelines to assess general damages in personal injury claims

When evaluating a general damages claim, the practitioner ought initially to refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG)...

Tomlin orders in England and Wales: CPR guidance on drafting, confidentiality, approval, variation, enforcement, limitation, CCA issues, court-specific requirements, sample wording and precedents

This Practice Note This Practice Note reviews mechanisms used in settling litigation. A Tomlin order consists of a consent order paired with a schedule. It operates to stay proceedings on terms that have been agreed. The provisions contained in the schedule may remain confidential. This Practice Note describes the scope of confidentiality attaching to the schedule and sets out how it differs from a standard consent order. Sample wording for a Tomlin order is included, alongside links to precedents, as well as guidance on court approval. It also addresses varying, setting aside and enforcing a Tomlin order, including the considerations the court will take into account when handling applications for each. Further guidance is provided on interpreting and applying the relevant provisions of the CPR; however, some courts and divisions impose very specific requirements for both drafting and approval, and for approaching the schedule and confidentiality issues. Accordingly, you must consider the particular rules and court guide provisions in the forum where your claim is proceeding when drawing up the Tomlin order...

Precedent: Deed of Surrender of Lease with Optional Premium, Settlement and Release, Landlord, Mortgagee and Guarantor Consents, Reimbursement and HM Land Registry Provisions (England and Wales)

Date [ date ] Parties [ name of Landlord ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Landlord) [ name of Tenant ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Tenant) [ [ name of Guarantor ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Guarantor) ] [ [ name of Mortgagee ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Mortgagee) ] Definitions Within this Deed, the terms below shall be interpreted as follows: [ Annual Rent • the annual sum reserved under the Lease; ] [ Insurance Rent • the Tenant’s share of the Landlord’s costs of insuring the Property (as set out in the Lease); ] Lease • the lease of the Property dated [ date ], entered into between (1) [ the Landlord OR [ name ...

Precedent Statutory Declaration: Standard Wording under the Statutory Declarations Act 1835

I, [ name ], of [ address ], solemnly and sincerely state that: [ Matters to be verified, set out in numbered paragraphs ] I make this solemn statement in good conscience, believing it to be true, and pursuant to the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. DECLARED at [ details ] this [ day ] day of [ month and year ] Before me ................................................................................ [ signature of the person before whom the declaration is made ] A [ commissioner for oaths OR [ solicitor OR [ insert other qualification ] ] authorised to administer oaths ]...