What is a doula services agreement?
Doula work rests on trust and availability. A client is counting on you to answer the phone at 3 am weeks from now; you're turning away other families to keep that promise. Writing the arrangement down protects both: the client knows exactly what support they've booked, and you know your fee is secure for the time you hold free.
This agreement starts with the doula's role, stating clearly that a doula gives emotional, physical and informational support and is not a medical provider. It covers birth and postpartum, birth only or postpartum only; the number of prenatal visits; the on-call period and phone; birth support and the hours after; and postpartum visits or hours. It explains when to call and what happens when a hospital limits support people. It names a backup doula, with a refund for birth support if neither of you can attend. Fees, a non-refundable booking retainer and extra postpartum hours are set out, along with privacy for photos and stories.
- Best for
- Birth doulas, postpartum doulas and doula collectives
- Signed by
- The doula and the client
- Support
- Birth and postpartum, birth only or postpartum only
- Length
- About 3 pages
When to use a doula services agreement
- A birth doula booking a first-time parent planning a hospital birth
- A doula supporting a planned home birth alongside a midwife
- A postpartum doula offering daytime help for the first month
- A doula collective that shares on-call cover between members
- A family booking a doula for a planned caesarean
What you fill in
18 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: doula, client.
1 The parties
- Doula (your business or name)*
- Doula's on-call phone*
- Client's full name*
- Partner or main support person (optional)
2 The birth
- Estimated due date
- Planned place of birth
3 Services
- Type of support* birth and postpartum support · birth support only · postpartum support only
- Prenatal visits
- On call from (weeks of pregnancy)
- Postpartum visits
- Also included (optional)
- Backup doula
4 Fees
- Currency*
- Total fee*
- Non-refundable booking retainer
- Balance due*
- Postpartum hours beyond the package, per hour
5 Other terms
- Governing law*
6 Who signs
- Doula signature and date · The doula or doula practice.
- Client signature and date · The pregnant or postpartum client. A partner who wants to sign too can be added as an extra signer in the editor.
What the doula services agreement covers
- The Doula's role
- Services
- When to call
- Backup doula
- Fees
- Privacy
- General
Using the doula services agreement, step by step
1 About the client and birth
Enter the client, their partner or support person if they like, the estimated due date and the planned place of birth. Leave the due date empty for postpartum-only work.
2 Choose the support
Pick birth and postpartum, birth only or postpartum only. Set the number of prenatal visits, when you go on call, what postpartum support is included and any extras.
3 Name your backup
Add your backup doula's name if you know it. The agreement explains what happens if neither of you can attend.
4 Fee and send
Enter the total fee, any booking retainer, when the balance is due and an hourly rate for extra postpartum time. Then send it for the client to sign from their phone.
Tips before you send it
- Go through the 'not a medical provider' section in person at the first visit, so it's understood rather than just signed.
- Introduce the backup doula before the on-call period begins. Clients relax when the face is familiar.
- Check the hospital's current visitor and support-person policy close to the due date — it changes.
- Store the signed agreement and the birth preferences together in FileIt so they're on your phone when the call comes.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Doula services agreement: frequently asked questions
Is a doula a medical provider?
No. This agreement says plainly that the doula gives emotional, physical and informational support and doesn't do clinical tasks, diagnose or make medical decisions. The client has a doctor or midwife responsible for their care, and the medical team leads in an emergency.
What if the doula misses the birth?
A backup doula attends if the doula can't. If neither can attend, the birth-support part of the fee is refunded — unless the labour was so fast that no one could arrive in time after being called.
Is the booking retainer refundable?
No, if you set one. It counts towards the fee and holds the doula's calendar, because they turn away other clients for that period. Anything paid above the retainer is refunded, less visits already given, if the client ends the agreement early.
Can a doula contract be signed online?
Generally yes. Electronic signatures are valid for an ordinary service agreement like this in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. FileIt keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF.
Is this template free?
Yes. It's free to use with the eSignature app in FileIt, and your client signs from a link without making an account.