Set the rules for contractor placements before issues surface

A contractor placement arrangement is not just a standard services contract. It needs to reflect the agency's role in introducing or placing the contractor, the client's expectations, and the contractor's obligations. If those moving parts are left vague, problems can arise around fees, replacement expectations, responsibility for conduct on site, and who is handling personal information at each stage. A dedicated agreement helps set the commercial ground rules early. It You will get a clear view of the legal issues and the next steps that matter. if the real-world arrangement points the other way.

These agreements commonly deal with placement fees or margins, invoicing and payment timing, the contractor's status in the arrangement, confidentiality, privacy-related wording, responsibilities between the agency and client, and limits on liability. They may also address replacement scenarios, non-circumvention concerns, record keeping, and what happens if the placement ends early. The exact drafting depends on whether your agency is simply introducing the contractor or staying involved in administration and communications throughout the placement. That factual context can materially change what the document needs to say.

Important details include whether you place contractors directly or through another entity, who contracts with whom, how timesheets or approvals are handled, who invoices the client, and whether your agency holds or shares candidate and contractor information. The wording should reflect the information your business collects, the reasons it is used and the parties it is shared with. We also look at whether the contractor works under the client's day-to-day direction, because the factual working arrangement can matter as much as the contract wording when risk is being assessed.

A generic template may cover basic payment and termination clauses, but it often misses the practical issues that make contractor placements different from simple referrals or ordinary supplier arrangements. For example, it may not deal properly with the three-party dynamic, information flows, replacement requests, or how responsibility is divided if something goes wrong during the placement. A tailored agreement is useful where your agency has a specific placement process or sector focus. If you already have a template, it can often be used as a starting point, but it usually needs adjustment.

Timing depends on how settled your placement model is and how much detail is available about your current process. Once we have your instructions, we prepare the agreement and send it through for your review. If there are points that need refining, we work through those as part of the drafting process. The fixed-fee covers the agreement described on this page. It does not include ongoing representation, dispute work, or broader HR support. If you need related advice outside the document itself, that can be discussed separately.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Contractor Placement Agreement service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.