> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.elateuk.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Set Up and Manage Client Contracts in Elate

> Create and manage client contracts in Elate — define service rates, assign clients, set weekly hours, and control your billing configuration.

Contracts in Elate define the terms under which care is delivered and billed for each client or group of clients. Each contract holds the service rates used to calculate invoice totals, the list of assigned clients, and configuration details such as weekly allocated hours. Keeping your contracts accurate and up to date ensures that every invoice generated from visit records reflects the correct amounts.

## The Contracts tab

Navigate to **Finance** in the left-hand menu and select the **Contracts** tab. The page lists all contracts in your organisation with the following information at a glance:

* **Contract name**
* **Status** — Active, Expired, or Terminated
* **Number of clients** assigned to the contract
* **Total Contract Value** (optional — displayed if set)

Click any contract row to open its full details.

***

## Contract details

Inside a contract record you'll find two main sections: the contract overview and the Rates tab.

### Overview

The contract overview shows:

* **Start and end dates** for the service agreement
* **Assigned clients** — the list of clients covered under this contract
* **Weekly assigned hours per client** — the number of support hours allocated per week for each individual client

From this view you can:

* **Access a client's profile** by clicking their name
* **View a client's schedule** directly from the contract
* **Edit the weekly hours** assigned to any client
* **Add new clients** to the contract
* **Remove clients** from the contract

### Rates tab

The Rates tab is where you define the billable services and their corresponding hourly rates. These rates are what Elate uses to calculate invoice totals when you generate invoices from completed visits.

* Add one or more **service types** (for example, Personal Care, Domestic Support, Overnight)
* Set an **hourly rate** for each service
* Update rates at any time — changes apply to new invoices going forward

<Note>
  Make sure every service type used in your visit records has a corresponding rate set in the relevant contract. If a rate is missing, the invoice calculation for that visit will be incomplete.
</Note>

***

## Creating and configuring a contract

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Contracts tab">
    Go to **Finance** in the left-hand menu and click the **Contracts** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a new contract">
    Click the **New Contract** button. Enter the contract name, set the **start date** and **end date**, and optionally add a **Total Contract Value** if you need to track the overall value of the agreement.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the contract details">
    Click **Save** (or **Create**) to create the contract record. It will initially appear with no clients assigned.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assign clients">
    Open the new contract and use the **Add Client** option to assign one or more clients. For each client, set the **weekly assigned hours** that reflect their care package allocation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Define service rates">
    Click the **Rates** tab within the contract. Add each service type your carers deliver under this contract and enter the corresponding **hourly rate**. Add as many service rows as needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and activate">
    Return to the contract overview to confirm that all clients are assigned, hours are set, and rates are in place. The contract status will show as **Active** once the start date is current.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  If multiple clients share the same billing terms and rates, group them under a single contract rather than creating individual contracts. This makes bulk invoice generation faster and keeps your rate management centralised.
</Tip>

***

## Contract actions

From the Contracts tab or within a contract record, you have the following actions available:

* **Edit** — update the contract name, dates, Total Contract Value, assigned clients, weekly hours, or rates
* **Download** — save the contract as a document to your device
* **Print** — print the contract directly from your browser
* **Delete** — permanently remove the contract

<Warning>
  Deleting a contract is permanent and cannot be undone. Any visits still assigned to that contract will lose their contract association, which may affect invoice generation and reporting accuracy. Consider setting a contract to **Terminated** instead if you need to close it while preserving historical records.
</Warning>