Posted By FAH It's difficult to provide an answer that covers everything on the info provided; but ultimately it all depnds on the actual contractual relationship. I'm an independant but will work for others who also provide consultancy. If I'm working on my own behalf [the client requiring the services has contracted directly with me], then I would expect to provide all my own documents, paperwork, back-office support & etc. If I'm working on a third party's behalf, then I would normally expect to be provided with the level of support [documentation, back-office support, etc] that they [my actual client, the intermediary] require. My relationship with the end client is incidental to the contracted relationship with the third party. As a guide, the less they provide, the more I expect to charge! Any third-party who took you on & then left you to your own devices is probably not worth working for & will also have no means of ensuring that you don't commit the cardinal sin for a consultant - rip off their client! Enjoy! Frank Hallett

Posted By Kieran J Duignan In reply to your very intelligent question 'I was wondering how a consultant actually worked', answers are throoughly examined in these two excellent guides to consulting: 'The Trusted Advisor', David Maister and Charles Green 'Trust-based Selling', Charles Green Maister was a graduate in statistics from Birmingham University who went on to become a professor at Harvard and began to ask the precise question you are asking. He's now widely respected as one of the world's leading consultants. Green, a graduate in philosophy with an MBA from Harvard, was European Director of Deloites. Both books are available on Amazon.co.uk You can find the URLs of the websites of both authros. They're well worth visiting regularly.