Quick summary: Free professional services contract in Word (text in Spanish) for hiring a contractor or freelancer in Guatemala. It is a civil contract under Civil Code Arts. 2027-2036: fees and payment terms are free to agree (Art. 2027), the professional is paid whatever the outcome unless you agree otherwise (Art. 2032), must give advance notice before quitting (Art. 2034), and the client may rescind by paying for work done (Art. 2035). The label does not decide the relationship: Labor Code Art. 18 applies to an employment contract whatever it is called.
Download the Contractor Agreement Template (Word)
Same template as the Spanish version of this page. The contract text is in Spanish; this page explains it in English. Whether a person should be a contractor or an employee at all is covered in employee vs independent contractor in Guatemala; this page is about the contract once you have decided.
Professional Services Contract (Contrato de Servicios Profesionales) — Guatemala 2026
⬇ Download Word template (.docx, Spanish)Editable · Works with Microsoft Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice · Free
A Civil Contract, Not an Employment Contract
Art. 2027 of the Civil Code opens the chapter on professional services: “Los profesionales que presten sus servicios y los que los soliciten, son libres para contratar sobre honorarios y condiciones de pago.”
The limit comes from the Labor Code. Art. 18 reads: “Contrato individual de trabajo, sea cual fuere su denominación, es el vínculo económico-jurídico mediante el que una persona (trabajador), queda obligada a prestar a otra (patrono), sus servicios personales o a ejecutarle una obra, personalmente, bajo la dependencia continuada y dirección inmediata o delegada de esta última, a cambio de una retribución de cualquier clase o forma.” The template’s independence clause (own means, no schedule, no subordination) describes the opposite of that definition, and its closing warning says courts can declare the relationship an employment one if, in practice, there is a schedule, subordination and a fixed salary.
What Civil Code Arts. 2027-2036 Say
| Article | Rule (summary of the captured text) | Where it shows up in the template |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Professionals and clients are free to agree on fees and payment terms | Fees and payment section |
| 2028 | Without an agreement, pay follows the applicable fee schedule (arancel) or, if none, a judge sets it | Fill in the fee so this fallback is not needed |
| 2029 | The professional may also recover expenses incurred for the services, justified and documented | Not a separate clause: add expenses to the scope if they apply |
| 2030 | Several people hiring in one contract are jointly liable for fees and expenses | Client section names one client; list each if several |
| 2031 | Several professionals on one matter are each paid in proportion to their services, plus expenses | One professional per template |
| 2032 | Unless agreed otherwise, the professional is paid whatever the success or result | Fees section |
| 2033 | Duty of dedication and diligence; liability for damage caused by fraud, inexcusable ignorance or disclosing the client’s secrets | Confidentiality clause |
| 2034 | A professional who cannot continue must give advance notice suited to the work, or answer for damages if leaving without notice and without a competent substitute | Termination clause |
| 2035 | A client unhappy with the work or conduct may rescind by paying the work and expenses; a judge sets the amount if they disagree | Termination clause |
| 2036 | Without the required degree or authorization: no right to payment, liability for damages | Profession and colegiado number field |
Three of these in the original text:
- Art. 2032: “Salvo pacto en contrario, los que prestaren servicios profesionales tendrán derecho a ser retribuidos, cualquiera que sea el éxito o resultado del negocio o asunto en el cual hubieren intervenido.”
- Art. 2033: “El profesional está obligado a prestar sus servicios con toda dedicación y diligencia y con arreglo a las prescripciones de la ciencia o arte de que se trate”
- Art. 2035: the client “puede rescindir el contrato pagando el trabajo y los gastos efectuados, cantidad que fijará el juez, si hubiere desacuerdo entre las partes.”
What the Template Covers
| Section | What you fill in |
|---|---|
| I. Parties | Client name or company name and NIT; professional’s full name, NIT and invoicing regime; profession and colegiado number if applicable |
| II. Object and scope | Services, deliverables and deadlines; anything not described is out of scope and quoted separately |
| III. Fees and payment | Total fee or rate; payment method (advance %, on delivery, monthly); the professional issues an invoice (factura) for each payment and the client applies legal withholdings if they apply |
| Independence | Own means, no schedule or subordination; not an employment relationship |
| Confidentiality | Client information stays confidential during and after the contract |
| Ownership of work | Work products pass to the client once fully paid, unless agreed otherwise |
| Termination | Written notice of a number of days you fill in; services actually provided are paid |
| Term | Start and end dates, or until final delivery |
| Signatures | Client (signature and DPI or seal); professional (signature and DPI) |
For Foreign Clients and Contractors
- Who signs. The client block takes a signature and DPI or a company seal; the professional signs with DPI. A party without a DPI writes a passport number instead.
- Form. Civil Code Art. 1575: “El contrato cuyo valor exceda de trescientos quetzales, debe constar por escrito.” Arts. 2027-2036 do not add a notary or public-deed requirement.
- Invoices and NIT. Both party blocks ask for a NIT, and the fees clause says the professional invoices each payment under its tax regime. For the tax side of each path, see employee vs contractor.
What the Template Does Not Do
- It does not turn an employment relationship into a civil one. Labor Code Art. 18 applies whatever the contract is called. If the role needs a schedule and direct supervision, use the employment contract template instead.
- It does not register anyone with SAT or calculate withholdings.
- Its ownership clause is a single sentence. Detailed intellectual property terms, exclusivity or non-compete clauses are not included.
Related Pages
- Employee vs independent contractor in Guatemala: the classification test and the tax and cost comparison
- Employment contract template
- Termination letter template: for employees, not contractors
- All trámites
Sources
- Civil Code of Guatemala (Decreto-Ley 106), Arts. 1575, 2027-2036: OAS legal library PDF, captured September 21, 2026.
- Labor Code of Guatemala (Decreto 1441), Art. 18: CENADOJ / Organismo Judicial PDF, captured September 26, 2026.
- Template text: the Word file linked above, read October 9, 2026.
This page explains the template and quotes the Civil Code and Labor Code text. It is general information, not legal advice for a specific engagement.