Statement of Work (SOW)

A Statement of Work is the operative project document in a services relationship governed by a Master Services Agreement. The MSA sets the legal rules (IP ownership, liability, confidentiality, dispute resolution); the SOW sets the commercial specifics — what is being done, by whom, by when, and for how much. Most disputes in services relationships trace back not to the MSA but to a poorly drafted SOW.

When to use this

• Kicking off a new project under an existing MSA framework
• Engaging a consultant, developer, law firm, or other professional services provider for a defined engagement
• Documenting a change to scope, timeline, or fees (use a Change Order, which follows the same structure)
• Any situation where "scope creep" is a real risk and clear boundaries need to be set before work starts

Required inputs