Coaching Contract Template (Free Download)

Your Coaching Contract Template: All you Need to Get Started

What is the art of truly great coaching? As a professional coach this will undoubtedly be your number one puzzle to solve.

Words such as spontaneity, inspiration or maybe purely an instinctive personal insight may spring to mind.

However, as true as these may be, you may be overlooking something less exciting, but just as important.

The legal contract.

Picture this: You have won the perfect client. It looks to be a match made in coaching heaven. The last thing you want to do is dull the main event by introducing a legal contract into the mix.

So you push forward with the exciting bits, but somewhere along the line you have a disagreement with your client. The client decides to terminate early and you’re hit with the dawning realisation that you have no legal leg to stand on.

You’re out of pocket with nothing to show but a whole load of wasted time.

This scenario just highlights the fact that sometimes the most boring of tasks are the most important! So how can you avoid this happening to you?

There is good news. We will supply you with a coaching contract template that is essential to your process - saving you time and protecting your services, all the while leaving you looking professional and business-savvy.

Sound good? Let’s break it down.

What is a Coaching Contract?

Your coaching contract is your legal best friend; a legally binding document that will not only help you to easily and professionally negotiate the legal parameters for every agreement, but will establish the expectations and ground rules for both parties, leaving you protected legally.

Simply put, it’s the single most precious legal tool to your business.

Why is a Coaching Contract Important?

• Sets the ground rules - this is important so that both parties can understand their obligations. You should make sure that everyone involved knows where they stand - it’s essential to a smooth-running process and keeps legal liabilities to a minimum
• Gives legal protection and peace of mind - having the terms laid out means that everyone can relax, safe in the knowledge of their role to play. Also, if in the event that a client is unhappy, a contract will offer you protection legally
• Keeps it professional - let’s face it: this profession can at times be on the personal side. A contract can help to keep some professional objectivity in sight, to leave you to focus on the more personal elements of the job
• Protects your copyright - if you are using any materials designed by yourself you can use a contract to set out any rules pertaining to copyright, keeping your personal work protected
• Covers you when working with international clients - when working with international clients, a contract can be a crucial part of the initial process, making sure you avoid any complex legal situations later down the line.

What Should Be Included in my Contract?

You know your job better than anyone - but does your brain ever shut down when legal jargon comes into the mix?

You are not alone.

The beauty is, we will provide you with a fully professional contract template, with all the spot-on legal wording so you don’t have to worry about constructing a binding, legal document.

Just leave it to us.

Your coaching contract will include all of the following and more:

• Goals for the Coaching Relationship
  What are the goals that you want to achieve from the relationship? In our coaching template you can establish initial goals and formulate a plan to achieve them
• Responsibilities and Expectations
  Make sure there is no room for ambiguity by outlining all responsibilities and expectations from both parties. Leave any disagreements at the door and manage expectations of each other, of the relationship and of what both parties will learn
• Fees
  The subject of money can be a tricky one in most agreements, but get it decided early as once they are negotiated you can relax, saving yourself from any disputes in the future as it’s all there in black and white
• Confidentiality
  Are any third parties to be involved? And to what extent? Here is where you decide and record your confidentiality agreement
• Cancellation and Termination
  This section will cover you legally if either party decides to cancel or terminate the contract making sure that you don’t end up out of pocket.

Sounding good? Read on to discover the simple steps to building your own coaching contract template.

How Do I Build My Coaching Contract Template?

So, you now have the best starting point to build your personal and easily adaptable coaching contract. Just follow these simple steps, and you’re good to go.

1. Download the template - you can download the coaching contract template from our website - it’s free!
2. Add personal information - this doesn’t change often and once initially entered will be easily adaptable for future contracts.
3. Time to customize - read through, edit, add and customize as necessary.
4. Legal advice - Finally, make sure that you always seek legal advice from a contract attorney.

There you have it - you’re a few steps away from your own customized coaching contract template.

Remember - making sure that your business is protected legally is essential to its success. Having contracts in place this means you can relax and focus on the part of the job you love the most - being a great coach!

Coaching Contract

This Coaching Agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into ____________________ (the “Effective Date”), by and between ________________________, with an address of _____________________________ (the “Coach”) and _________________, with an address of _______________________________, (the “Client”), collectively “the Parties.”

Purpose of the Agreement: The purpose of this Agreement is to develop a coaching relationship between the Parties in order to cultivate the Client’s personal, professional, and/or business goals and create a plan to carry out those goals through stimulating and creative interactions with the ultimate result of maximizing the Client’s personal and/or professional potential (“Coaching Services”).

The Parties agree as follows:

1. Coaching Goals. The Client wishes to engage the Coach’s services in order to achieve the following goals/to maximize the following area of the Client’s life:

1. Coaching Fees. In exchange for coaching services, the Client agrees to pay the Coach the following fees and according to the following schedule:

1. Coaching Schedule. The Parties agree to meet _____________ [by telephone/in person (choose one)] ___________ days per _________ [week/month (choose one)] for ________ [minutes/hours (choose one)]. Coach _____________ [will/will not (choose one)] be available by telephone and/or email in between scheduled sessions.
2. Coach-Client Relationship – Duties & Responsibilities. A business and/or life coaching relationship is a partnership between two or more individuals or entities. This relationship is not a legal partnership, instead more like a teacher-student or coach-athlete relationship. Each Party must uphold its obligations for the coaching relationship to be successful.
   1. The Coach agrees to maintain the ethics and standards of behavior established by the International Coach Federation (IFC), an internationally recognized standard for coaching.
   2. The Client agrees to communicate honestly, be open to feedback and suggestions, and to fully engage and devote oneself to the coaching process.
   3. The Client acknowledges and agrees that coaching is a comprehensive process that may explore different areas of the Client’s life, including work, finances, health and relationships, but it is ultimately the Client’s decision how the Client incorporates coaching into each aspect of life.
   4. The Client is solely responsible for implementing the techniques discovered through coaching.

   [The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank. Signature page follows.]

   The Parties agree to the terms and conditions set forth above as demonstrated by their signatures as follows: