Agreement templates
Monthly scope, fees, rollover rules and termination — the terms specific to ongoing retainer billing.
A retainer agreement governs an ongoing relationship billed on a recurring schedule — its specific job, beyond a general services agreement, is to define what happens to unused hours or scope each month, since that's the most common point of dispute in retainer relationships.
Exactly what's included each month — a number of hours, a set of deliverables, or both.
Whether unused hours/scope roll over, expire, or convert to a credit — state it explicitly.
What happens when a month's work exceeds the retainer scope — additional billing rate or a hard stop.
When the retainer invoice is generated relative to the service period (in advance vs. in arrears).
Notice period, and how a mid-month cancellation is handled for billing.
Copy this into your own document, or build it directly as a branded page in Hanko. Bracketed text like [Client Name] is a placeholder to fill in.
Retainer Agreement
This Agreement is entered into as of [Date] between [Agency/Consultant Legal Name] ("Provider") and [Client Legal Name] ("Client").
1. Retainer Scope
Provider will make available up to [X hours] per month, or the following recurring deliverables: [list], for the fee described in Section 2.
2. Fees & Billing
Client will pay $[amount] per month, invoiced [in advance / in arrears] on the [1st] of each month. Payment is due within [15] days of invoice date.
3. Unused Time / Rollover
Unused hours or scope in a given month [do not roll over and expire at month end / roll over up to a maximum of X hours into the following month]. This section should be set deliberately — it's the most common source of retainer disputes.
4. Overage
Work requested beyond the monthly retainer scope will be billed at $[rate]/hour, or scoped as a separate project, at Provider's discretion, and confirmed with Client before proceeding.
5. Term & Renewal
This Agreement begins on [Start Date] for an initial term of [X months], then automatically renews month-to-month unless either party gives [30] days' written notice.
6. Termination
Either party may terminate with [30] days' written notice. If terminated mid-month, Client is responsible for fees for the full month in which notice is given, unless otherwise agreed.
7. Confidentiality & IP
Standard confidentiality applies to both parties. Deliverables created specifically for Client become Client's property upon payment for the applicable month.
Signatures
Provider: ___________________ Date: ______
Client: ___________________ Date: ______
Either approach is fine, but it needs to be explicit. Rollover is more client-friendly but can create a growing liability of unused hours; no-rollover is simpler to manage but can feel unfair to a client in an occasional light month.
At an hourly rate that's often at or slightly above your standard rate, or scoped as a separate mini-project — either way, it should require the client's confirmation before work proceeds, not be billed automatically.
Most retainer agreements bill for the full month in which notice is given, since capacity was reserved for that period regardless of usage. State this explicitly to avoid a dispute at cancellation.
Route it for e-signature in Hanko and schedule the recurring invoice to match.
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