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Between:


FIRST_NAME
LAST_NAME
Corporation Corp.
‍ Acme LLC.
Client

FIRST_NAME
LAST_NAME
Corporation Corp.

First_name
Last_name
Acme LLC.
Client

First_name
Last_name
Corporation Corp.

Free Interpreter Contract Template

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“I upped my rates and won more clients

Date: March 8th 2023


Between:

Coach:

First_name
Last_name
Acme LLC.
Client:

First_name
Last_name
Corporation Corp.

This Contract is between Client (the "Client") and Acme LLC, a California limited liability company (the "Coach").

The Contract is dated January 23, 2023.

1. WORK AND PAYMENT.

1.1 Project. The Client is hiring the Coach to develop a coaching relationship between the Client and Coach in order to cultivate the Client's personal, professional, or business goals and create a plan to achieve those goals through stimulating and creative interactions with the ultimate result of maximizing the Client's personal or professional potential.

1.2 Schedule. The Coach will begin work on February 1, 2023 and will continue until the work is completed. This Contract can be ended by either Client or Coach at any time, pursuant to the terms of Section 4, Term and Termination.

The Coach and Client will meet by video conference, 4 days per month for 2 hours.

1.3 Payment. The Client will pay the Coach an hourly rate of $150. Of this, the Client will pay the Coach $500.00 (USD) before work begins.

1.4 Expenses. The Client will reimburse the Coach's expenses. Expenses do not need to be pre-approved by the Client.

1.5 Invoices. The Coach will invoice the Client in accordance with the milestones in Section 1.3. The Client agrees to pay the amount owed within 15 days of receiving the invoice. Payment after that date will incur a late fee of 1.0% per month on the outstanding amount.

1.6 Support. The Coach will not be available by telephone, or email in between scheduled sessions.

2.DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

- A coaching relationship is a partnership between two or more individuals or entities, like a teacher-student or coach-athlete relationship. Both the Client and Coach must uphold their obligations for the relationship to be successful.

- The Coach agrees to maintain the ethics and standards of behavior established by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

- The Client acknowledges and agrees that coaching is a comprehensive process that may explore different areas of the Client's life, including work, finances, health, and relationships.

- The Client is responsible for implementing the insights and techniques learned from the Coach.

3. REPRESENTATIONS.

3.1 Overview. This section contains important promises between the parties.

3.2 Authority To Sign. Each party promises to the other party that it has the authority to enter into this Contract and to perform all of its obligations under this Contract.

3.3 Coach Has Right To Give Client Work Product. The Coach promises that it owns the work product, that the Coach is able to give the work product to the Client, and that no other party will claim that it owns the work product. If the Coach uses employees or subcontractors, the Coach also promises that these employees and subcontractors have signed contracts with the Coach giving the Coach any rights that the employees or subcontractors have related to the Coach's background IP and work product.

3.4 Coach Will Comply With Laws. The Coach promises that the manner it does this job, its work product, and any background IP it uses comply with applicable U.S. and foreign laws and regulations.

3.5 Work Product Does Not Infringe. The Coach promises that its work product does not and will not infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights, that the Coach has the right to let the Client use the background IP, and that this Contract does not and will not violate any contract that the Coach has entered into or will enter into with someone else.

3.7 Client-Supplied Material Does Not Infringe. If the Client provides the Coach with material to incorporate into the work product, the Client promises that this material does not infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights.

4. TERM AND TERMINATION

This Contract is ongoing until it expires or the work is completed. Either party may end this Contract for any reason by sending an email or letter to the other party, informing the recipient that the sender is ending the Contract and that the Contract will end in 7 days. The Contract officially ends once that time has passed. The party that is ending the Contract must provide notice by taking the steps explained in Section 9.4. The Coach must immediately stop working as soon as it receives this notice unless the notice says otherwise.

If either party ends this Contract before the Contract automatically ends, the Client will pay the Contractor for the work done up until when the Contract ends. The following sections don't end even after the Contract ends: 3 (Representations); 6 (Confidential Information); 7 (Limitation of Liability); 8 (Indemnity); and 9 (General).

3. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR.

The Client is hiring the Coach as an independent contractor. The following statements accurately reflect their relationship:

- The Coach will use its own equipment, tools, and material to do the work.

- The Client will not control how the job is performed on a day-to-day basis. Rather, the Coach is responsible for determining when, where, and how it will carry out the work.

- The Client will not provide the Coach with any training.

- The Client and the Coach do not have a partnership or employer-employee relationship.

- The Coach cannot enter into contracts, make promises, or act on behalf of the Client.

- The Coach is not entitled to the Client's benefits (e.g., group insurance, retirement benefits, retirement plans, vacation days).

- The Coach is responsible for its own taxes.

- The Client will not withhold social security and Medicare taxes or make payments for disability insurance, unemployment insurance, or workers compensation for the Coach or any of the Coach's employees or subcontractors.

6. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

6.1 Overview. This Contract imposes special restrictions on how the Client and the Coach must handle confidential information. These obligations are explained in this section.

6.2 The Client's Confidential Information. While working for the Client, the Coach may come across, or be given, Client information that is confidential. This is information like customer lists, business strategies, research & development notes, statistics about a website, and other information that is private. The Coach promises to treat this information as if it is the Coach's own confidential information. The Coach may use this information to do its job under this Contract, but not for anything else. For example, if the Client lets the Coach use a customer list to send out a newsletter, the Coach cannot use those email addresses for any other purpose. The one exception to this is if the Client gives the Coach written permission to use the information for another purpose, the Coach may use the information for that purpose, as well. When this Contract ends, the Coach must give back or destroy all confidential information, and confirm that it has done so. The Coach promises that it will not share confidential information with a third party, unless the Client gives the Coach written permission first. The Coach must continue to follow these obligations, even after the Contract ends. The Coach's responsibilities only stop if the Coach can show any of the following: (i) that the information was already public when the Coach came across it; (ii) the information became public after the Coach came across it, but not because of anything the Coach did or didn't do; (iii) the Coach already knew the information when the Coach came across it and the Coach didn't have any obligation to keep it secret; (iv) a third party provided the Coach with the information without requiring that the Coach keep it a secret; or (v) the Coach created the information on its own, without using anything belonging to the Client.

6.3 Third-Party Confidential Information. It's possible the Client and the Coach each have access to confidential information that belongs to third parties. The Client and the Coach each promise that it will not share with the other party confidential information that belongs to third parties, unless it is allowed to do so. If the Client or the Coach is allowed to share confidential information with the other party and does so, the sharing party promises to tell the other party in writing of any special restrictions regarding that information.

7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

Neither party is liable for breach-of-contract damages that the breaching party could not reasonably have foreseen when it entered this Contract.

8. INDEMNITY.

8.1 Overview. This section transfers certain risks between the parties if a third party sues or goes after the Client or the Coach or both. For example, if the Client gets sued for something that the Coach did, then the Coach may promise to come to the Client's defense or to reimburse the Client for any losses.

8.2 Client Indemnity. In this Contract, the Coach agrees to indemnify the Client (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against all liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) related to a third-party claim or proceeding arising out of: (i) the work the Coach has done under this Contract; (ii) a breach by the Coach of its obligations under this Contract; or (iii) a breach by the Coach of the promises it is making in Section 3 (Representations).

8.3 Coach Indemnity. In this Contract, the Client agrees to indemnify the Coach (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) related to a third-party claim or proceeding arising out of a breach by the Client of its obligations under this Contract.

9. GENERAL.

9.1 Assignment​. This Contract applies only to the Client and the Coach. Neither the Client nor the Coach can assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Contract to a third-party (other than by will or intestate), without first receiving the other's written permission.

9.2 Arbitration. As the exclusive means of initiating adversarial proceedings to resolve any dispute arising under this Contract, a party may demand that the dispute be resolved by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its commercial arbitration rules.

9.3 Modification; Waiver. To change anything in this Contract, the Client and the Coach must agree to that change in writing and sign a document showing their contract. Neither party can waive its rights under this Contract or release the other party from its obligations under this Contract, unless the waiving party acknowledges it is doing so in writing and signs a document that says so.

9.4. Noticies.

(a) Over the course of this Contract, one party may need to send a notice to the other party. For the notice to be valid, it must be in writing and delivered in one of the following ways: personal delivery, email, or certified or registered mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested). The notice must be delivered to the party's address listed at the end of this Contract or to another address that the party has provided in writing as an appropriate address to receive notice.

(b) The timing of when a notice is received can be very important. To avoid confusion, a valid notice is considered received as follows: (i) if delivered personally, it is considered received immediately; (ii) if delivered by email, it is considered received upon acknowledgement of receipt; (iii) if delivered by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), it is considered received upon receipt as indicated by the date on the signed receipt. If a party refuses to accept notice or if notice cannot be delivered because of a change in address for which no notice was given, then it is considered received when the notice is rejected or unable to be delivered. If the notice is received after 5:00pm on a business day at the location specified in the address for that party, or on a day that is not a business day, then the notice is considered received at 9:00am on the next business day.

9.5 Severability. This section deals with what happens if a portion of the Contract is found to be unenforceable. If that's the case, the unenforceable portion will be changed to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, unless that change is not permitted by law, in which case the portion will be disregarded. If any portion of the Contract is changed or disregarded because it is unenforceable, the rest of the Contract is still enforceable.

9.6 Signatures. The Client and the Coach must sign this document using Bonsai's e-signing system. These electronic signatures count as originals for all purposes.

9.7 Governing Law. The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this document shall be governed by the laws of the United States of America.

9.8 Entire Contract. This Contract represents the parties' final and complete understanding of this job and the subject matter discussed in this Contract. This Contract supersedes all other contracts (both written and oral) between the parties.

THE PARTIES HERETO AGREE TO THE FOREGOING AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR SIGNATURES BELOW.

Coach

First_name
Last_name
Acme LLC.
Client

First_name
Last_name
Corporation Corp.
Table of contents

What is an interpreter contract?

Those who are gifted with being able to speak several languages may find that being a freelance interpreter is an exciting career - especially if you have the appropriate interpreter contract.

An interpreter is a special niche, someone who can listen and understand the spoken word in one language, and then translate the meaning and speak it almost immediately in another language. A sign language interpreter is another example, someone who can translate the spoken word immediately into sign language to help the hearing impaired. 

Interpreters may work simultaneously with the speaker, usually speaking through equipment such as headphones, or consecutively, where the speaker stays silent while the interpreter does the translation. Sign language interpreters usually work simultaneously with the speaker.

Interpreters are in demand for conferences, workshops, and international meetings, to name a few, and often have to travel to work.

But an interpreter contract may not be as simple and straightforward as other types of freelance agreements. It’s even different than translation services. Where a writer or language translator can charge by the word, for instance, or a designer can charge per design or project, there are nuances in an interpreter contract.

Interpreter Contract Template
Image credits: studylib.net

Whether you use an existing template or create your own, let’s look at 8 things you need to include in an interpreter contract.

1. Figure out your pricing model

One of the unique aspects of being an interpreter is placing a value on your work. It’s impossible to charge per word, for instance. So you may want to consider establishing a pricing model based on a per-hour, per-day or even by a partial day’s work. 

For a conference, you could charge per session. Just be sure you know how long each session will be before setting your price. And there are even instances when an interpreter is needed for court proceedings, which have an indeterminate length. Each situation could be very different.

Make sure your interpreter contract clearly covers your pricing, with an explanation if necessary. Your model may vary depending on the job, so put some time into determining what works best in every situation.

What should be included in an interpreter contract template?

An interpreter contract should include a clause that clearly outlines the work to be performed. That will protect you and the client from any misunderstandings.

Here’s an example.

Let’s say your experience is to work simultaneously, with equipment like headphones that allows you to hear the speaker, and lets those requiring translation services to hear you. You arrive at an event to find out the client expects you to work consecutively, where you listen to the speaker, who then pauses while you do the interpretation. If you’re not accustomed to this, you’re not setting yourself up for success.

So be sure your interpreter contract clearly details what work will be performed and how it will be performed.

3. Determine a time frame or milestones

This step can be skipped if you’re working for a client on a one-time basis, also known as a job contract. In this instance, you’ll be doing a specific piece of work on a one-time basis and your pricing model and work outline should cover the time frame.

But there are instances when you will enter into a services agreement with a client, which could cover multiple assignments, jobs, conferences or sessions. Perhaps a local government authority needs ongoing sign language interpretation for a weekly meeting. 

In cases such as these, you’ll need to determine a time frame for the contract, with review periods for the contract such as on a bi-annual or annual basis. You’ll also have to stipulate milestones for payment, so that you receive a regular stipend from the client.

4. Include travel

Since interpreters often work at conferences or summits, there will be instances where you will have to travel for work. Your interpreter contract should include all your costs of travel. That includes airline tickets and taxis, or mileage to get you to and from the event, and parking at the event. It includes any accommodations, and meals, and any other out-of-pocket expenses you may incur.

As you get more experienced and more in demand, you can even require first-class air tickets, or certain types of accommodations. If you don’t want to eat the meals at the conference, be sure to stipulate some kind of meal allowance or per diem as part of your interpreter contract. You can even build in compensation for the travel time getting to and from the event.

Interpreter Contract Template Sample
Image credits: atanet.org

What are the essentials of an interpreter contract?

Be sure to protect yourself in the event of a cancellation. For instance, if you’re hired for a conference and will be paid per session, there are times that sessions get cancelled for unforeseen reasons. Perhaps the attendance for that session was not high enough. Or maybe the presenter backs out of the event. You need to be sure you are compensated, since you may give up other work in the same time frame.

Examples of cancellation clauses are those based on number of days and a percentage of the fee. For instance, a cancellation 90 days in advance could require payment of 35% of the fee, but a cancellation only 10 days in advance would require payment of 75% of fees.  

6. Have a confidentiality clause ready

Depending on your client, they may require that you have a confidentiality clause in your interpreter contract. That could be true if the event you’ll be interpreting is closed, like a court proceeding, a company event, a pre-release marketing event, a health conference, and more.

It will save you time and hassle if you have a confidentiality clause either included in your interpreter contract or at the ready if the client requests it.

7. Consider asking for referrals

Similar to how a designer would create a portfolio to demonstrate their skills, an interpreter needs to have a way to show prospective clients their abilities. One way to do this is to ask clients if you can use them as a referral after the conclusion of a successful job. That can even be built into your interpreter contract if you like.

8. Have the template reviewed

If you’ve created your own interpreter contract template, consider having it reviewed by a lawyer to ensure it will protect both you and the client. Once you have the appropriate clauses ready, this should be a one-time review, and will help you ensure you’ve covered all the bases with your interpreter contract. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about this template.

Why do you need an interpreter contract?

An interpreter contract has important clauses that protects both the client and the interpreter. Save yourself the hassle and use Bonsai's interpreter contract template. It's free and easy to edit.

How much should I charge as an interpreter?

In-person interpreters charge by the hour ranging from $45 to $150 per hour. For phone interpreters, they charge per minute from $1.2 to $3.

What is the interpreter clause?

The interpreter clause states that the interpreter must provide an identical interpretation to the original statement. It also protects the client by ensuring that the interpreter doesn't disclose any information regarding the conversation to uninvolved parties.