Coaching Contract Template: What Clauses to Include

A coaching contract puts in writing who is working with whom, how many sessions there will be, what they cost, what happens when someone cancels and what stays confidential. Below are the nine clauses almost every coaching agreement includes, each with sample wording you can copy and fit to the way you work.

Before you copy anything: this is a practical guide, not legal advice. Contract, consumer and data protection law varies from country to country. Adapt the wording to where you practice and, if you work with companies or larger fees, have a lawyer review your final version.

What is a coaching contract for?

It is the document where coach and client write down the rules of the engagement. It feels like paperwork until a client misses three sessions in a row and asks whether you will refund them. That day you are glad you have a signed cancellation clause.

Writing it also forces you to decide things many coaches leave vague, like what you do when a client shows up late or when you refer them to someone else. If you are not clear on it, your client won't be either.

What does the ICF require in a coaching agreement?

If you are an ICF member or hold an ICF credential, the first section of the ICF Code of Ethics (in effect since April 1, 2025) deals with agreements. Three standards bear directly on your contract:

Standard 1.1: before coaching begins, explain the nature of coaching to the client (and to the sponsor, if a company is paying) and co-create an agreement on roles, responsibilities, confidentiality and financial arrangements.
Standard 1.2: respect every party's right to end the coaching relationship at any point, for any reason, subject to the provisions of the agreement.
Standard 2.3: have a clear agreement about what confidential information you may need to disclose to the authorities, for example illegal activity, a court order or subpoena, or a risk of danger to the client or others.

The Code does not impose a contract template. It asks that those topics are agreed; how you word them is up to you.

Which clauses should a coaching contract include?

These nine cover what the ICF asks for and the disputes that come up most in practice:

Clause	What it settles
1. Parties	Who the coach is, who the client is and, if there is one, who pays
2. Services and goal	What kind of coaching, and what for
3. Sessions	Number, length, frequency and format
4. Fees and payment	Price, payment method and due dates
5. Cancellations	How much notice to reschedule, and what happens without notice
6. Confidentiality	What stays between you, and when it doesn't
7. What coaching is not	That it does not replace therapy, medical or professional advice, and when you refer
8. Term and termination	When it starts, when it ends and how either side can leave early
9. Signature	That both parties accept the above, with a date

Person signing a document with a pen at a table

Sample clauses: parties, services and sessions

Anything in square brackets is yours to fill in. Delete whatever doesn't apply.

1. Parties

Full name and contact details for each party. If a company is paying for an employee's coaching, add it as a third party. The ICF calls it the sponsor, and it helps to be clear from day one about what information the sponsor gets and what it doesn't.

Sample wording

This agreement is made between [coach's name] ("the Coach") and [client's name] ("the Client"). [If applicable: The coaching is funded by [company name] ("the Sponsor").]

2. Services and coaching goal

Describe the type of coaching and the goal you are starting from. It doesn't have to be final, since it usually gets sharper in the first session. It does need to be specific.

Sample wording

The Coach will provide [life / executive / career] coaching focused on [the Client's initial goal]. The Client understands that coaching is a process in which the Client sets their own goals and actions, and that results depend on the Client's commitment.

3. Number, length and format of sessions

This is where most misunderstandings get prevented. Use numbers: how many sessions, how many minutes, how often, and where.

Sample wording

The program includes [8] sessions of [60] minutes, held [every two weeks] by [video call / in person at address]. If the Client arrives late, the session will still end at the scheduled time. Between sessions, the Client may contact the Coach via [channel] and can expect a reply within [2] business days.

Sample clauses: fees and cancellations

4. Fees and payment

Total or per-session price, currency, payment method and dates. If you offer installments, say what happens when one is missed. If you are still working out what to charge, see how much coaches charge per session and how to set your rates.

Sample wording

The program fee is [amount and currency], payable [in advance / in [3] installments of [amount] on [dates]] by [bank transfer / card]. Sessions are booked once the corresponding payment has been received. If an installment is more than [7] days late, the Coach may pause sessions until it is paid.

5. Cancellations and rescheduling

Pick a notice period (24 or 48 hours, say) and what happens when it isn't met. Choose one you can enforce without feeling awkward about it. And cover what happens when you are the one who cancels.

Sample wording

The Client may reschedule a session with at least [24] hours' notice. Sessions cancelled with less notice, or missed without notice, will count as delivered. If the Coach cancels, the Coach will offer a new time at no cost within the following [7] days.

Paper forms, a calculator on a phone and a pen laid out on the floor

Sample clauses: confidentiality and what coaching is not

6. Confidentiality and its limits

Promise discretion, and write down the exceptions too: the ICF asks for them explicitly. If there is a sponsor, spell out what you will report (attendance and general progress, for instance) and what you won't. For how to store client notes and data, there is a separate guide on confidentiality and data protection in online coaching.

Sample wording

The Coach will keep confidential everything the Client shares during the coaching. This confidentiality has limits: the Coach may disclose information when required by law, under a court order or subpoena, if the Coach becomes aware of illegal activity, or if there is an imminent risk of harm to the Client or others. [If there is a sponsor: The Sponsor will only receive information on attendance and [general progress agreed with the Client].]

7. What coaching is not, and referrals

State that coaching does not replace psychotherapy, medical care, or legal or financial advice. Then commit to speaking up if you see signs the client needs a different kind of help. The ICF Code also asks you to consider, where appropriate, whether a different coach, professional or resource would serve the client better.

Sample wording

Coaching is not therapy or mental health treatment, and it does not replace medical, legal or financial advice. If the Coach believes the Client could benefit from another kind of professional support, the Coach will say so and may suggest the Client seek it. The Client agrees to tell the Coach about any psychological or psychiatric treatment that could affect the coaching.

Sample clauses: term, termination and signature

8. Term and termination

Give a start and end date, or the condition that closes the engagement (completing the contracted sessions, for example). Then cover early exit: notice period, what happens to money already paid, and whether there is a refund. This clause heads off more arguments than any other, and it is the one people most often leave vague.

Sample wording

This agreement begins on [date] and ends when the contracted sessions have been completed or, at the latest, on [date]. Either party may end it earlier, for any reason, with [7] days' written notice. In that case, [the Coach will refund paid sessions not yet delivered / paid sessions are non-refundable but may be used until [date]].

9. Signature

Name, date and signature of both parties (plus the sponsor, if there is one). The practical move is to have it signed before the first session and spend a few minutes of that session going over it out loud. The first coaching session guide shows where that fits.

Sample wording

The parties confirm they have read and accept this agreement. Signed in [city] on [date].

[Coach's signature] [Client's signature] [Sponsor's signature, if applicable]

Word template, PDF or online signature?

Each format does a different job:

Word: for drafting your template and tailoring it per client. Good for writing, poor for getting it back signed.
PDF: for sending a version nobody edits by mistake. The catch is the signature: print, sign, scan, resend. That is where plenty of contracts stall.
Online signature: the client opens a link, reads and signs on screen. No files going back and forth.

What mistakes should you avoid when writing it?

Copying a template from another country without checking it. References to laws, taxes or jurisdiction may make no sense where you practice.
Promising results. "You'll get promoted in three months" has no place in a coaching contract. The client decides and acts; you support.
Leaving confidentiality without limits. A promise of total secrecy puts you in a bind the day a real risk shows up.
Signing after you've started. Two sessions in, it is harder to ask a client to accept a cancellation clause.

How do you send a coaching contract for signature in CoachPro Tools?

In CoachPro Tools you write your coaching contracts with e-signature once, as editable templates with variables for client details, and send them for signature from the client's record. You can adjust the text for a specific client and preview it before sending. You draw your own signature once and it goes on every contract.

The client reads the contract and signs with a finger or a mouse, without installing anything or creating an account. The final PDF carries both signatures, and the platform keeps an evidence record: a hash of the text, the time, the IP address and the browser. The contract stays in the client's record next to their sessions, goals and invoices. If you take payments through the platform, you can require the signature before the client pays.

If you work in wellness, the catalog also includes the Wellness Coaching Agreement, which the client reads, fills in and signs on screen.

Your contracts, signed without printing

Reusable templates, finger signatures and the PDF saved in each client's record: 30 USD/month, 157 USD/year or a one-time 297 USD.

See plans and pricing →

Frequently asked questions

Do I legally need a signed coaching contract?

That depends on your country and how you work. If you are an ICF member, though, its Code of Ethics asks you to agree on roles, responsibilities, confidentiality and financial arrangements with the client before coaching starts. A signed document is the simplest way to show that agreement existed.

Do I need a separate confidentiality agreement?

Usually not. Confidentiality goes in as a clause of the coaching contract itself, with its limits spelled out. A separate NDA makes sense when a company is paying and wants to pin down what information it receives, or when the client will share sensitive business data.

What is the difference between a coaching contract and a coaching agreement?

Most coaches use the two terms interchangeably. Some call the signed document the agreement, others keep that word for what you agree at the start of each session. What matters is that the written document covers the basic clauses and both parties sign it before the first session.

Can I use a free coaching agreement template in Word or PDF?

Yes. Word is handy for drafting and tailoring it to each client, and PDF for sending a version nobody edits by accident. The step that stalls is the signature: print, sign, scan, send back. That is why sending it for online signature is worth it.

What happens if a client wants to stop halfway through?

The termination clause covers it. The ICF Code of Ethics recognizes the right of either party to end the relationship at any point, subject to the agreement. So write down the notice period, what happens to sessions that were paid for but not used, and whether there is a refund.