How to write a coaching agreement clients actually read

A coaching agreement does two jobs. It protects both of you if something goes wrong, and it sets expectations so that fewer things go wrong in the first place. Most agreements are written for the first job and forgotten for the second: six pages of defensive language that a client signs without reading, which means the expectations never land.

This guide is about writing one that does both. It is not legal advice. If you work in a regulated field or you have specific concerns, show your draft to a lawyer in your country. What follows is the structure coaches use most, and how to keep each part short enough to be read.

Start with what coaching is, and is not

The first paragraph should say what the client is buying. Coaching is a partnership in which the client sets the goals and does the work, and the coach provides structure, questions and accountability. It is not therapy, counselling, medical advice, financial advice or legal advice.

Say this in two or three sentences, in the same voice you use in a session. The point is not to disclaim everything; it is to make sure a client who is hoping for a different kind of help finds out now, while there is time to refer them elsewhere.

Name the package

Say exactly what the client gets. The number of sessions, the length of each, the period they are available in, and what happens between sessions: messaging, check-ins, reviews of written work, whatever you include. If your package includes a daily check-in tool, say that the client is expected to use it, in plain terms.

If you offer more than one package, keep this section generic and use merge fields for the specifics. In Commitment Coach the agreement editor offers fields for the client's name, the package name, the price, the start and end dates and your business name, so one template serves every package and every client without editing.

Scheduling and cancellation

This is the section clients read most closely, and the one that saves the most friction later. Cover four things:

• How sessions are booked. If the client books from a page or a space, say so.
• How much notice a reschedule needs. Twenty-four hours is common; some coaches use forty-eight.
• What happens to a session cancelled inside that window. Lost, rescheduled once as a courtesy, or charged: pick one and say it.
• What happens if you need to cancel.

Write it as rules, not as threats. "Sessions can be moved with 24 hours' notice. Inside 24 hours a session counts as used, except in an emergency" is enough.

Fees and payment

State the price, the currency, when it is due and how it is paid. If payment is taken at booking, say that. For subscriptions, say when the renewal happens and how the client ends it. If you offer refunds, say under what conditions; if you do not, say that plainly rather than leaving it silent.

Avoid putting the price in the body of the template if it changes by package. Use a merge field, so the signed copy shows the number the client actually paid.

Confidentiality

Clients need to know that what they say in a session stays with you, and they need to know the limits. The usual limits are: where the law requires disclosure, where there is a serious risk of harm, and where the client gives permission. If you use a supervisor or peer group and discuss cases anonymously, say so.

Also say how their data is stored. If you use a tool, you can point to its privacy policy in one line rather than restating it.

Responsibilities on both sides

A short list for each of you. The client agrees to arrive on time, to do the work between sessions, and to tell you when something is not working. You agree to be prepared, to keep the time, and to tell the client if you think coaching is no longer the right help.

This is the section that most changes how the engagement feels, and it is usually missing. Four lines each is plenty.

Ending the engagement

Say how either of you can end early, how much notice, and what happens to any unused sessions. A clean ending clause lets a client leave without a difficult conversation, which paradoxically makes them more likely to stay.

Signing

Close with a sentence that says signing means agreeing. Typed signatures are accepted in most places for agreements like this, provided the record shows who signed, when, and what version they saw. The checkout flow records the typed name, the timestamp, the IP address and the agreement version, and produces a PDF for both of you.

Keeping it short

A good test: read the whole agreement aloud. If it takes longer than four minutes, cut. Most clauses that feel necessary are there because another agreement had them. The version a client reads and remembers is better than the version that covers every case and is skipped.

Use headings, so a client can find the cancellation rule six weeks from now. Use the client's name through a merge field rather than "the Client". Write "you" and "I" or "we" rather than "the Parties".

Getting it signed without chasing

The last part of the job is not writing. It is the three emails you normally send to get the signature back. Put the agreement in the checkout flow, directly after payment, and the client signs it while they are already there and already committed. The signed PDF lands in their documents and yours. No reminder, no attachment, no "did you get a chance to look at it".

We publish a coaching agreement template you can read, download and adapt. It is the same content that new coaches find in their agreement editor on the first day. It is not legal advice, and it is a far better start than a blank page.