GuidesFree template

Coaching agreement template

A coaching agreement in plain words for life and business coaches: what coaching is and isn’t, the program, fees and the deposit, cancellations, refunds and confidentiality. Fill in the blanks, then have each client sign it before they pay.

Start free See what your client sees

Free until your first client pays you, then $19/month · no card to startUpdated November 9, 2026

Coaching agreement

1. What coaching is, and isn’t

Coaching is a partnership to help you reach goals you choose. It isn’t therapy, counselling, medical care, or financial or legal advice. If you need any of those, I’ll suggest you see a qualified professional, and we can decide together whether coaching continues alongside it.

2. The program

[Number] sessions of [length] minutes, [weekly / every two weeks], by [video / phone / in person], starting on [date]. Sessions not used by [end date] expire, unless we agree otherwise in writing.

3. Fees and payment

The program costs [total price]. You pay a deposit of [deposit] when you sign this agreement, and it counts toward the total. The balance of [balance] is due [before our first session / in monthly payments]. If you pay monthly, you’ll make [number] payments of [amount], due on the [day] of each month.

Read all 13 parts

On this page

The agreement

Copy it into a doc, or download the PDF. Everything in [brackets] is yours to fill in or choose. Delete the clauses in brackets that don’t apply, such as the one for employer-paid coaching.

Download the PDF

Coaching agreement

Between [your business name] (the coach) and [client name] (the client), dated [date]

1. What coaching is, and isn’t

2. The program

[Number] sessions of [length] minutes, [weekly / every two weeks], by [video / phone / in person], starting on [date]. Sessions not used by [end date] expire, unless we agree otherwise in writing.

3. Fees and payment

4. Moving and cancelling sessions

You can move or cancel a session at no cost with at least [24] hours’ notice. A later change, or a session you miss, counts as used. Once during the program, I’ll waive this for an emergency. If I need to move a session, I’ll give you as much notice as I can and offer another time.

5. Refunds

If you end the program before our first session, I’ll refund everything you paid except the deposit, which covers the time I set aside for you. After our first session, I’ll refund the sessions not yet held [minus the deposit]. Sessions already held aren’t refundable.

[If your clients live in the UK or the EU:] You can also cancel within 14 days of signing for a refund. If you ask me to hold sessions within those 14 days and then cancel, I’ll refund what you paid minus the sessions we’ve already had.

6. Confidentiality

What you share in our sessions stays between us. I won’t pass it on without your permission, unless the law requires me to, or I believe someone is at serious risk of harm.

[If an employer is paying:] I’ll tell [sponsor name] only whether sessions took place and [what you agree they can hear], and nothing else without your permission.

7. Your choices and results

You decide what to work on and what to do between sessions. You’re responsible for your own decisions and their results, and I can’t promise any particular outcome.

8. Between sessions

You can reach me at [email or messaging app], and I’ll reply within [2] business days. Short messages between sessions are included. Calls outside our sessions cost [rate per call / nothing extra].

9. Notes and recordings

I keep brief notes to prepare for our sessions and store them securely. Neither of us records a session without the other’s agreement.

10. Ending this agreement

Either of us can end this agreement by writing to the other. Refunds follow clause 5. If I end it for any reason other than a breach of this agreement, I’ll refund every session not yet held, including the deposit.

11. If something goes wrong

If you’re unhappy with anything, tell me first at [email], and we’ll try to put it right together within [14] days.

12. The law that applies

This agreement is governed by the law of [state or country].

13. Signatures

Coach: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Client: ______________________________ Date: ______________

What to decide in each clause

ClauseWhat to decideWhy it matters

What coaching isNothing, unless you offer more than coachingIt sets expectations, and tells a client when to look for a therapist, a doctor or an adviser instead

The programSessions, length, frequency, format, start date and when unused sessions expireA clear scope is what a client checks the work against later

Fees and paymentThe total, the deposit and when the balance is dueSo the deposit reads as part of the total, not an extra charge

Moving and cancellingYour notice periodThe same rule as your cancellation policy, so the two never disagree

RefundsWhether the deposit comes back, and what happens to unused sessionsIt answers the question a client asks when plans change: what comes back

ConfidentialityWho else may hear what, if an employer paysSo a client knows where their words go before they share them

Between sessionsHow to reach you, how fast you reply, and whether extra calls cost moreSo a client knows when to expect an answer

The law that appliesYour state or countryIt decides which rules settle a disagreement

Getting it signed

An agreement only protects you if the client signed it before the work and the payment. An electronic signature counts: in the US, the federal ESIGN Act says a contract or signature can’t be denied legal effect just because it’s electronic, and it defines an electronic signature broadly enough to include a typed name. In the UK and the EU, too, a signature can’t be refused legal effect just because it’s electronic.

What makes a signature hold up is the record around it: proof of who signed, what exactly they agreed to, and when. Keep the signed copy with the payment it belongs to. The e‑signature guide compares the ways to get one.

With IntakePay, your agreement is the terms on every client link. Paste this one, or start from the coaching example in Settings. Details you write in brackets, such as [Client name], [Package], [Deposit] and [Payment plan], are filled in for each client. The client reads it in full, types their name to sign and pays the deposit on the same page, and the signed copy stays with the payment: the exact wording they signed, the name, the time, and the IP address and browser it was signed from.

Agreement, cancellation policy, or both

The agreement covers the whole arrangement. The cancellation policy covers one part of it, in more detail. If you use both, make the agreement’s cancellation and refund clauses say the same as the policy, or point to it.

For single sessions and short programs, the cancellation policy on its own is often enough. For longer programs, especially those an employer pays for, use the full agreement.

Questions

Do I need a lawyer to use this agreement?

You can use it as it is, but a lawyer who knows your state or country can check the clauses that vary most: refunds, the law that applies, and anything you add for employer-paid coaching. A one-off review is usually enough, since the same agreement then serves every client.

Is a typed name a valid signature?

Yes, in the US, the UK and the EU. The federal ESIGN Act defines an electronic signature as any electronic sound, symbol or process adopted with the intent to sign, and courts in England have accepted a name typed at the bottom of an email. What matters in practice is being able to show who signed, what they signed and when.

The ESIGN Act’s definitions, 15 U.S.C. § 7006 (Cornell Law School)(opens in a new tab)

Why does the agreement say coaching isn’t therapy?

So the client knows what you offer and what you don’t. Coaching works on goals and the future. If a client needs mental health care, medical care or professional advice, the agreement already says you’ll point them to someone qualified.

Can I use the same agreement for every client?

Yes. Keep one agreement and change only the blanks for each client: the program, the price and the dates. Fewer versions also means fewer chances to promise one client something you didn’t promise another. In IntakePay, write those blanks once as [Package], [Total price], [Deposit] and [Date], and each client’s link fills them in.

Sources

All guides and templates

Have every client sign before they pay

Paste your agreement into IntakePay once, or start from its coaching example. Every client link fills in that client’s details, shows it in full, asks for a typed signature and keeps the signed copy with the deposit.