---
title: "Short-form services agreement (United States commercial)"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/commercial-and-corporate-advisory/us-short-form-services-agreement"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a1-us-short-form-services-agreement"
area_id: "A1"
kind: "agreement"
ai_level: "yellow"
version: 1
task_ids: ["A1-T1-R1", "A1-T1-R2", "A1-B15-4", "A1-P20260916-3"]
law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-22"
---

# Short-form services agreement (United States commercial)

> Short services agreement for a US commercial engagement: scope, fees, a liability cap, customer materials, and electronic signing under the ESIGN Act. It is not a sale agreement and it does not cover employment.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/commercial-and-corporate-advisory/us-short-form-services-agreement  
Law stated as at: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

- Kind: Agreement. A contract between two or more parties.
- Practice area: [Commercial & Corporate Advisory](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/commercial-and-corporate-advisory.md)
- Jurisdictions: United States
- AI level: Yellow. You and the tool draft together, with you directing. You check every statement you rely on.
- Law stated as at: 2026-10-22
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-22 against the 3 authorities it cites, for United States.

## When to use it

Use for a straightforward services engagement between two US businesses, where the work, fees and cap can be stated in a few pages. For software as a service, a data-processing addendum or a statement of work with milestones, use those forms. Do not use it to hire an employee.

## Used for these tasks

- [Draft a first-pass commercial contract from the term sheet](https://ailawframework.com/practice/commercial-and-corporate-advisory/draft-a-first-pass-commercial-contract-from-the-term-sheet.md)
- [Review and redline counterparty paper against the playbook](https://ailawframework.com/practice/commercial-and-corporate-advisory/review-and-redline-counterparty-paper-against-the-playbook.md)
- [Compare liability caps across a set of customer master services agreements](https://ailawframework.com/practice/commercial-and-corporate-advisory/compare-liability-caps-across-a-set-of-customer-master-services-agreemen.md)
- [Check that the final contract matches the agreed changes](https://ailawframework.com/practice/commercial-and-corporate-advisory/check-that-the-final-contract-matches-the-agreed-changes.md)

## How AI may be used

AI may fill the scope, fees and cap from an approved order. The lawyer checks the cap, the indemnity and whether customer information needs a separate confidentiality or privacy term before the agreement is signed.

**AI may:**

- Turn an approved proposal into the scope, fee and term blanks
- Compare a counterparty services draft with this form and list differences in the cap, the indemnity and the term
- Check names, dates and cross-references

**AI must not:**

- Must not set the liability cap or the indemnity from a playbook the lawyer has not adopted for this client
- Must not describe personal information practices that are not in the client's instructions
- Must not sign or send the agreement

**The lawyer checks:**

- Scope, fees, expenses and payment timing match the commercial instruction
- The cap and the carved-out claims are a deliberate choice for this counterparty, not a leftover
- If personal information or trade secrets will be exchanged, the confidentiality clause or a separate agreement covers them

## Authorities

- [15 U.S.C. § 7001 (electronic signatures and electronic records in interstate commerce)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/7001)
- [18 U.S.C. § 1839(3) (trade secret definition, where the services involve secret information)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1839)
- [17 U.S.C. § 204(a) (a transfer of copyright ownership must be in a signed writing)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/204)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/commercial-and-corporate-advisory/us-short-form-services-agreement and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*