Personal Coaching Contract

Fully editable with standard terms and clauses. Send and e-sign it online.

Personal Coaching Contract

Fully editable with standard terms and clauses. Send and e-sign it online.

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Personal Coaching Contract

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Personal Coaching Contract

Coach
First Name
Last Name
Acme LLC.
Client
First Name
Last Name
Corporation Corp.


This contract (the "Contract") is between Client (the "Client") and Coach (the "Coach").

The Contract is dated [DATE].


1. WORK AND PAYMENT.

1.1 Project. The Client is hiring the Coach to develop a coaching relationship between the Client and Coach in order to cultivate the Client's personal, professional, or business goals and create a plan to achieve those goals through stimulating and creative interactions with the ultimate result of maximizing the Client's personal or professional potential.

The Client wishes to engage the Coach's services in order to achieve the following: [COACHING GOALS OR ATTACH STATEMENT OF WORK "Please see the attached Statement of Work."]

1.2 Schedule. The Coach will begin work on [START DATE] and will [END DATE OR "continue until the work is completed"]. This Contract can be ended by either Client or Coach at any time, pursuant to the terms of Section 4, Term and Termination.

The Coach and Client will meet ["by telephone" or "by video conference" or "in person"] [NUMBER OF DAYS] days per [week/month] for [AMOUNT OF TIME] [minutes/hours].

1.3 Payment. The Client will pay the Coach ["a flat fee of $XXX USD." or "in milestones totaling $XXX USD" or "an hourly/daily/weekly/monthly rate of $XXX USD"]. Of this, the Client will pay the Contractor [$XXX USD] before work begins. [The milestones will be invoiced as follows: INSERT MILESTONE SCHEDULE]

1.4 Expenses. The Client [will/will not] reimburse the Coach's expenses. Expenses [do/do not] need to be pre-approved by the Client.

1.5 Invoices. The Coach will invoice the Client ["at the end of the project." or "in accordance with the milestones in Section 1.3."] The Client agrees to pay the amount owed within [NUMBER OF DAYS] day of receiving the invoice. Payment after that date will incur a late fee of [X%] per month on the outstanding amount.

1.6 Support. The Coach [will/will not] be available by telephone or email in between scheduled sessions.

2. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CLIENT AND COACH.

  • A coaching relationship is a partnership between two or more individuals or entities, like a teacher-student or coach-athlete relationship. Both the Client and Coach must uphold their obligations for the relationship to be successful.
  • The Coach agrees to maintain the ethics and standards of behavior established by the [INSERT COACH'S CERTIFYING ORGANIZATION].
  • 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.
  • The Client is responsible for implementing the insights and techniques learned from the Coach.

3. REPRESENTATIONS.

3.1 Overview. This section contains important promises between the parties.

3.2 Authority To Sign. Each party promises to the other party that it has the authority to enter into this Contract and to perform all of its obligations under this Contract.

3.3 Coach Has Right To Give Client Work Product. The Coach promises that it owns the work product, that the Coach is able to give the work product to the Client, and that no other party will claim that it owns the work product. If the Coach uses employees or subcontractors, the Coach also promises that these employees and subcontractors have signed contracts with the Coach giving the Coach any rights that the employees or subcontractors have related to the Coach's background IP and work product.

3.4 Coach Will Comply With Laws. The Coach promises that the manner it does this job, its work product, and any background IP it uses comply with applicable U.S. and foreign laws and regulations.

3.5 Work Product Does Not Infringe. The Coach promises that its work product does not and will not infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights, that the Coach has the right to let the Client use the background IP, and that this Contract does not and will not violate any contract that the Coach has entered into or will enter into with someone else.

3.7 Client-Supplied Material Does Not Infringe. If the Client provides the Coach with material to incorporate into the work product, the Client promises that this material does not infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights.

4. TERM AND TERMINATION.

This Contract is ongoing until it expires or the work is completed. Either party may end this Contract for any reason by sending an email or letter to the other party, informing the recipient that the sender is ending the Contract and that the Contract will end in 7 days. The Contract officially ends once that time has passed. The party that is ending the Contract must provide notice by taking the steps explained in Section 9.4. The Coach must immediately stop working as soon as it receives this notice unless the notice says otherwise.

If either party ends this Contract before the Contract automatically ends, the Client will pay the Contractor for the work done up until when the Contract ends. The following sections don't end even after the Contract ends: 3 (Representations); 6 (Confidential Information); 7 (Limitation of Liability); 8 (Indemnity); and 9 (General).

5. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR.

The Client is hiring the Coach as an independent contractor. The following statements accurately reflect their relationship:

  • The Coach will use its own equipment, tools, and material to do the work.
  • The Client will not control how the job is performed on a day-to-day basis. Rather, the Coach is responsible for determining when, where, and how it will carry out the work.
  • The Client will not provide the Coach with any training.
  • The Client and the Coach do not have a partnership or employer-employee relationship.
  • The Coach cannot enter into contracts, make promises, or act on behalf of the Client.
  • The Coach is not entitled to the Client's benefits (e.g., group insurance, retirement benefits, retirement plans, vacation days).
  • The Coach is responsible for its own taxes.
  • The Client will not withhold social security and Medicare taxes or make payments for disability insurance, unemployment insurance, or workers compensation for the Coach or any of the Coach's employees or subcontractors.

6. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

6.1 Overview. This Contract imposes special restrictions on how the Client and the Coach must handle confidential information. These obligations are explained in this section.

6.2 The Client's Confidential Information. While working for the Client, the Coach may come across, or be given, Client information that is confidential. This is information like customer lists, business strategies, research & development notes, statistics about a website, and other information that is private. The Coach promises to treat this information as if it is the Coach's own confidential information. The Coach may use this information to do its job under this Contract, but not for anything else. For example, if the Client lets the Coach use a customer list to send out a newsletter, the Coach cannot use those email addresses for any other purpose. The one exception to this is if the Client gives the Coach written permission to use the information for another purpose, the Coach may use the information for that purpose, as well. When this Contract ends, the Coach must give back or destroy all confidential information, and confirm that it has done so. The Coach promises that it will not share confidential information with a third party, unless the Client gives the Coach written permission first. The Coach must continue to follow these obligations, even after the Contract ends. The Coach's responsibilities only stop if the Coach can show any of the following: (i) that the information was already public when the Coach came across it; (ii) the information became public after the Coach came across it, but not because of anything the Coach did or didn't do; (iii) the Coach already knew the information when the Coach came across it and the Coach didn't have any obligation to keep it secret; (iv) a third party provided the Coach with the information without requiring that the Coach keep it a secret; or (v) the Coach created the information on its own, without using anything belonging to the Client.

6.3 Third-Party Confidential Information. It's possible the Client and the Coach each have access to confidential information that belongs to third parties. The Client and the Coach each promise that it will not share with the other party confidential information that belongs to third parties, unless it is allowed to do so. If the Client or the Coach is allowed to share confidential information with the other party and does so, the sharing party promises to tell the other party in writing of any special restrictions regarding that information.

7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

Neither party is liable for breach-of-contract damages that the breaching party could not reasonably have foreseen when it entered this Contract.

8. INDEMNITY.

8.1 Overview. This section transfers certain risks between the parties if a third party sues or goes after the Client or the Coach or both. For example, if the Client gets sued for something that the Coach did, then the Coach may promise to come to the Client's defense or to reimburse the Client for any losses.

8.2 Client Indemnity. In this Contract, the Coach agrees to indemnify the Client (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against all liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) related to a third-party claim or proceeding arising out of: (i) the work the Coach has done under this Contract; (ii) a breach by the Coach of its obligations under this Contract; or (iii) a breach by the Coach of the promises it is making in Section 3 (Representations).

8.3 Coach Indemnity. In this Contract, the Client agrees to indemnify the Coach (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) related to a third-party claim or proceeding arising out of a breach by the Client of its obligations under this Contract.

9. GENERAL.

9.1 Assignment​. This Contract applies only to the Client and the Coach. Neither the Client nor the Coach can assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Contract to a third-party (other than by will or intestate), without first receiving the other's written permission.

9.2 Arbitration. As the exclusive means of initiating adversarial proceedings to resolve any dispute arising under this Contract, a party may demand that the dispute be resolved by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its commercial arbitration rules.

9.3 Modification; Waiver. To change anything in this Contract, the Client and the Coach must agree to that change in writing and sign a document showing their contract. Neither party can waive its rights under this Contract or release the other party from its obligations under this Contract, unless the waiving party acknowledges it is doing so in writing and signs a document that says so.

9.4 Notices.

(a) Over the course of this Contract, one party may need to send a notice to the other party. For the notice to be valid, it must be in writing and delivered in one of the following ways: personal delivery, email, or certified or registered mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested). The notice must be delivered to the party's address listed at the end of this Contract or to another address that the party has provided in writing as an appropriate address to receive notice.

(b) The timing of when a notice is received can be very important. To avoid confusion, a valid notice is considered received as follows: (i) if delivered personally, it is considered received immediately; (ii) if delivered by email, it is considered received upon acknowledgement of receipt; (iii) if delivered by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), it is considered received upon receipt as indicated by the date on the signed receipt. If a party refuses to accept notice or if notice cannot be delivered because of a change in address for which no notice was given, then it is considered received when the notice is rejected or unable to be delivered. If the notice is received after 5:00pm on a business day at the location specified in the address for that party, or on a day that is not a business day, then the notice is considered received at 9:00am on the next business day.

9.5 Severability. This section deals with what happens if a portion of the Contract is found to be unenforceable. If that's the case, the unenforceable portion will be changed to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, unless that change is not permitted by law, in which case the portion will be disregarded. If any portion of the Contract is changed or disregarded because it is unenforceable, the rest of the Contract is still enforceable.

9.6 Signatures. The Client and the Coach must sign this document using Bonsai's e-signing system. These electronic signatures count as originals for all purposes.

9.7 Governing Law. The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this document shall be governed by the laws of the United States of America.

9.8 Entire Contract. This Contract represents the parties' final and complete understanding of this job and the subject matter discussed in this Contract. This Contract supersedes all other contracts (both written and oral) between the parties.

Coach
First Name
Last Name
Acme LLC.
Client
First Name
Last Name
Corporation Corp.

Personal Coaching Contract

Fully editable with standard terms and clauses. Send and e-sign it online.

Personal Coaching Contract

Fully editable with standard terms and clauses. Send and e-sign it online.

Bonsai has helped create 1,023,928 documents and counting.

Trusted by 500,000+
business owners

Date: March 8th 2023


Between:

Coach:

First_name
Last_name
Acme LLC.
Client:

First_name
Last_name
Corporation Corp.

This Contract is between Client (the "Client") and Acme LLC, a California limited liability company (the "Coach").

The Contract is dated January 23, 2023.

1. WORK AND PAYMENT.

1.1 Project. The Client is hiring the Coach to develop a coaching relationship between the Client and Coach in order to cultivate the Client's personal, professional, or business goals and create a plan to achieve those goals through stimulating and creative interactions with the ultimate result of maximizing the Client's personal or professional potential.

1.2 Schedule. The Coach will begin work on February 1, 2023 and will continue until the work is completed. This Contract can be ended by either Client or Coach at any time, pursuant to the terms of Section 4, Term and Termination.

The Coach and Client will meet by video conference, 4 days per month for 2 hours.

1.3 Payment. The Client will pay the Coach an hourly rate of $150. Of this, the Client will pay the Coach $500.00 (USD) before work begins.

1.4 Expenses. The Client will reimburse the Coach's expenses. Expenses do not need to be pre-approved by the Client.

1.5 Invoices. The Coach will invoice the Client in accordance with the milestones in Section 1.3. The Client agrees to pay the amount owed within 15 days of receiving the invoice. Payment after that date will incur a late fee of 1.0% per month on the outstanding amount.

1.6 Support. The Coach will not be available by telephone, or email in between scheduled sessions.

2.DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

- A coaching relationship is a partnership between two or more individuals or entities, like a teacher-student or coach-athlete relationship. Both the Client and Coach must uphold their obligations for the relationship to be successful.

- The Coach agrees to maintain the ethics and standards of behavior established by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

- 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.

- The Client is responsible for implementing the insights and techniques learned from the Coach.

3. REPRESENTATIONS.

3.1 Overview. This section contains important promises between the parties.

3.2 Authority To Sign. Each party promises to the other party that it has the authority to enter into this Contract and to perform all of its obligations under this Contract.

3.3 Coach Has Right To Give Client Work Product. The Coach promises that it owns the work product, that the Coach is able to give the work product to the Client, and that no other party will claim that it owns the work product. If the Coach uses employees or subcontractors, the Coach also promises that these employees and subcontractors have signed contracts with the Coach giving the Coach any rights that the employees or subcontractors have related to the Coach's background IP and work product.

3.4 Coach Will Comply With Laws. The Coach promises that the manner it does this job, its work product, and any background IP it uses comply with applicable U.S. and foreign laws and regulations.

3.5 Work Product Does Not Infringe. The Coach promises that its work product does not and will not infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights, that the Coach has the right to let the Client use the background IP, and that this Contract does not and will not violate any contract that the Coach has entered into or will enter into with someone else.

3.7 Client-Supplied Material Does Not Infringe. If the Client provides the Coach with material to incorporate into the work product, the Client promises that this material does not infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights.

4. TERM AND TERMINATION

This Contract is ongoing until it expires or the work is completed. Either party may end this Contract for any reason by sending an email or letter to the other party, informing the recipient that the sender is ending the Contract and that the Contract will end in 7 days. The Contract officially ends once that time has passed. The party that is ending the Contract must provide notice by taking the steps explained in Section 9.4. The Coach must immediately stop working as soon as it receives this notice unless the notice says otherwise.

If either party ends this Contract before the Contract automatically ends, the Client will pay the Contractor for the work done up until when the Contract ends. The following sections don't end even after the Contract ends: 3 (Representations); 6 (Confidential Information); 7 (Limitation of Liability); 8 (Indemnity); and 9 (General).

3. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR.

The Client is hiring the Coach as an independent contractor. The following statements accurately reflect their relationship:

- The Coach will use its own equipment, tools, and material to do the work.

- The Client will not control how the job is performed on a day-to-day basis. Rather, the Coach is responsible for determining when, where, and how it will carry out the work.

- The Client will not provide the Coach with any training.

- The Client and the Coach do not have a partnership or employer-employee relationship.

- The Coach cannot enter into contracts, make promises, or act on behalf of the Client.

- The Coach is not entitled to the Client's benefits (e.g., group insurance, retirement benefits, retirement plans, vacation days).

- The Coach is responsible for its own taxes.

- The Client will not withhold social security and Medicare taxes or make payments for disability insurance, unemployment insurance, or workers compensation for the Coach or any of the Coach's employees or subcontractors.

6. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

6.1 Overview. This Contract imposes special restrictions on how the Client and the Coach must handle confidential information. These obligations are explained in this section.

6.2 The Client's Confidential Information. While working for the Client, the Coach may come across, or be given, Client information that is confidential. This is information like customer lists, business strategies, research & development notes, statistics about a website, and other information that is private. The Coach promises to treat this information as if it is the Coach's own confidential information. The Coach may use this information to do its job under this Contract, but not for anything else. For example, if the Client lets the Coach use a customer list to send out a newsletter, the Coach cannot use those email addresses for any other purpose. The one exception to this is if the Client gives the Coach written permission to use the information for another purpose, the Coach may use the information for that purpose, as well. When this Contract ends, the Coach must give back or destroy all confidential information, and confirm that it has done so. The Coach promises that it will not share confidential information with a third party, unless the Client gives the Coach written permission first. The Coach must continue to follow these obligations, even after the Contract ends. The Coach's responsibilities only stop if the Coach can show any of the following: (i) that the information was already public when the Coach came across it; (ii) the information became public after the Coach came across it, but not because of anything the Coach did or didn't do; (iii) the Coach already knew the information when the Coach came across it and the Coach didn't have any obligation to keep it secret; (iv) a third party provided the Coach with the information without requiring that the Coach keep it a secret; or (v) the Coach created the information on its own, without using anything belonging to the Client.

6.3 Third-Party Confidential Information. It's possible the Client and the Coach each have access to confidential information that belongs to third parties. The Client and the Coach each promise that it will not share with the other party confidential information that belongs to third parties, unless it is allowed to do so. If the Client or the Coach is allowed to share confidential information with the other party and does so, the sharing party promises to tell the other party in writing of any special restrictions regarding that information.

7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

Neither party is liable for breach-of-contract damages that the breaching party could not reasonably have foreseen when it entered this Contract.

8. INDEMNITY.

8.1 Overview. This section transfers certain risks between the parties if a third party sues or goes after the Client or the Coach or both. For example, if the Client gets sued for something that the Coach did, then the Coach may promise to come to the Client's defense or to reimburse the Client for any losses.

8.2 Client Indemnity. In this Contract, the Coach agrees to indemnify the Client (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against all liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) related to a third-party claim or proceeding arising out of: (i) the work the Coach has done under this Contract; (ii) a breach by the Coach of its obligations under this Contract; or (iii) a breach by the Coach of the promises it is making in Section 3 (Representations).

8.3 Coach Indemnity. In this Contract, the Client agrees to indemnify the Coach (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) related to a third-party claim or proceeding arising out of a breach by the Client of its obligations under this Contract.

9. GENERAL.

9.1 Assignment​. This Contract applies only to the Client and the Coach. Neither the Client nor the Coach can assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Contract to a third-party (other than by will or intestate), without first receiving the other's written permission.

9.2 Arbitration. As the exclusive means of initiating adversarial proceedings to resolve any dispute arising under this Contract, a party may demand that the dispute be resolved by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its commercial arbitration rules.

9.3 Modification; Waiver. To change anything in this Contract, the Client and the Coach must agree to that change in writing and sign a document showing their contract. Neither party can waive its rights under this Contract or release the other party from its obligations under this Contract, unless the waiving party acknowledges it is doing so in writing and signs a document that says so.

9.4. Noticies.

(a) Over the course of this Contract, one party may need to send a notice to the other party. For the notice to be valid, it must be in writing and delivered in one of the following ways: personal delivery, email, or certified or registered mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested). The notice must be delivered to the party's address listed at the end of this Contract or to another address that the party has provided in writing as an appropriate address to receive notice.

(b) The timing of when a notice is received can be very important. To avoid confusion, a valid notice is considered received as follows: (i) if delivered personally, it is considered received immediately; (ii) if delivered by email, it is considered received upon acknowledgement of receipt; (iii) if delivered by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), it is considered received upon receipt as indicated by the date on the signed receipt. If a party refuses to accept notice or if notice cannot be delivered because of a change in address for which no notice was given, then it is considered received when the notice is rejected or unable to be delivered. If the notice is received after 5:00pm on a business day at the location specified in the address for that party, or on a day that is not a business day, then the notice is considered received at 9:00am on the next business day.

9.5 Severability. This section deals with what happens if a portion of the Contract is found to be unenforceable. If that's the case, the unenforceable portion will be changed to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, unless that change is not permitted by law, in which case the portion will be disregarded. If any portion of the Contract is changed or disregarded because it is unenforceable, the rest of the Contract is still enforceable.

9.6 Signatures. The Client and the Coach must sign this document using Bonsai's e-signing system. These electronic signatures count as originals for all purposes.

9.7 Governing Law. The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this document shall be governed by the laws of the United States of America.

9.8 Entire Contract. This Contract represents the parties' final and complete understanding of this job and the subject matter discussed in this Contract. This Contract supersedes all other contracts (both written and oral) between the parties.

THE PARTIES HERETO AGREE TO THE FOREGOING AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR SIGNATURES BELOW.

Coach

First_name
Last_name
Acme LLC.
Client

First_name
Last_name
Corporation Corp.
Table of contents

If you're entering the world of life coaching, you are undoubtedly in the right place. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.9 percent leading up to 2030. In other words – it's a booming industry, unlikely to slow down any time soon. 

A personal coach contract is a crucial piece of your documentation as a life coach. Similar to a proposal, this document outlines the terms and conditions of your working relationship with clients. It formalizes the coaching process and helps protect both parties from any potential disputes. 

Without a personal coach contract in place, you're more likely to experience issues like scope creep, miscommunication, unmet expectations, and even legal disputes. No one wants to go down that road. A good contract helps ensure a smooth and successful coaching relationship with your clients. So, how do you write one? 

Benefits of a Personal Coach Contract

Personal coaches provide their clients with guidance, support, and direction to help them reach their goals. Whether it's a personal coach contract for one-on-one coaching or group coaching, having clear boundaries and expectations in place is essential. 

Legal Protection

First and foremost, your personal coach contract is drawn up to protect you and your client in the event of a dispute. It serves as proof that both parties have agreed to enter into a mutually beneficial arrangement and are held accountable for their actions. If there's something your client has done (or failed to do) that breaks the contract, you can refer back to the agreement and take appropriate legal action. 

Clear Expectations 

Setting out a personal coach contract establishes clear expectations for both parties. You'd be surprised at how often client expectations are mismatched with what you can actually deliver. A contract helps to avoid miscommunication and ensures that everyone is on the same page from the start. 

Professionalism

Clients expect a certain level of formality from you – and a huge part of your professionalism as a coach lies in the documents you prepare. Whether it's a proposal or contract, having well-drafted documents makes you look professional and reliable. Your client will be more likely to trust you if they can see that you have your act together. 

Essential Elements of a Life Coach Contract

You should never attempt to 'wing it' when it comes to any of your legal documents. There are certain elements that need to be included in a personal coach contract to make it both effective and legally binding – and there’s a difference between simply writing a proposal vs a contract. Let's take a look at the essential elements of a life coach contract. 

Executive Summary

Start your contract with a brief statement of the purpose of the agreement. Your summary only needs to be a couple of sentences long, but it should include the names of both parties and the purpose of their relationship. 

For instance:

"This Agreement is hereby entered into by [Client Name] and [Your Name], hereafter referred to as the 'Coach', with the purpose of establishing a professional coaching relationship. The Coach will provide [Client Name] with guidance and direction to help them reach their desired goals." 

Description of Coaching

Every coach has a slightly different approach, but you should always include a general description of what personal coaches do. Position this straight after the exec summary as an extension of the introductory section. Though most of the document is written formally and for legal purposes, this is a section you can use to reinforce the value of your coaching. 

Your description might sound like this:

"Coaching, defined as a partnership (non-legal) between the Coach and the Client, is designed to help the Client identify their goals, create action plans and develop strategies for achieving success. Coaching is forward-looking rather than backward-facing; it focuses on helping clients become more aware of their potential and how they can reach it." 

You're essentially setting the scene for the rest of your contract by explaining what coaching is and how it works. 

Clarify the Relationship

The first item in the main body of your contract should be a clear description of the relationship between you and the client. Make it crystal clear that no legal partnership exists between you, and that all sorts of contractual obligations and liabilities are waived. The client is solely responsible for their action, inaction, and any direct or indirect results of the coaching. 

This section is your chance to iron out any liabilities or assumed responsibilities that could cause problems down the line. Clarify that your service isn't meant to stand in for therapy or professional counseling; you're not here to diagnose or treat mental health problems, and your advice is well-informed but not backed by medical or legal expertise. 

Don't be surprised if this section makes up a significant portion of your first page. Separate each item into a different section and begin by clarifying who the item refers to. For example, your first items might look like this:

"i. Coach agrees to comply with all applicable laws and ethics outlined by the International Coach Federation (ICF), and will periodically review and update their skills and knowledge in accordance with the ICF's coaching standards."

ii. Client understands and acknowledges that coaching services are provided solely for the purpose of self-improvement, and that the Coach is not a therapist or mental health professional."

We recommend getting professional legal help for this section, as the wording needs to be precise and unambiguous. 

Services Being Offered

Next, it's time to clarify exactly what services you're offering to the client. Make sure to include both physical and virtual services, such as face-to-face meetings, phone or video calls, email consultations, etc.

The number of sessions you'll be providing should also be clarified in this section. Include an exact number and specify any other conditions for the coaching relationship (such as a minimum commitment period).

For instance:

"The Coach and Client agree to engage in this program from the commencement date of [Date] for a total of [Number] sessions. The duration of each session will be approximately one hour, and the Coach and Client agree to meet either in person or via video call every week on [Day/Time]."

This section should also include any other services you'll provide as part of the coaching package – like offering email correspondence or creating written programs.

Payment Schedule

The payment schedule should be as specific as possible. Include the total cost of the package, any discounts that apply, and whether you accept installments or require a single lump sum payment upfront. 

Include details about when payments are due (for instance, at the start of each month) and what happens if the payment isn't received in time. You might want to introduce a late payment fee or provide a grace period before defaulting on the contract.

Finally, make sure you specify how and when you'll receive payments (for instance, via direct bank transfer).

Cancellation and Refund Policy

It's important to include a section that outlines what happens if the client decides to cancel or terminate their contract. You never know when a client might need to end their coaching relationship, and it's best to be prepared. For example, you might say:

"The Client can cancel their contract with the Coach at any time. If the Client wishes to terminate the contract, they must provide written notice [Number] days before their next scheduled session. In this case, all payments already made are non-refundable and no further payment will be due."

Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality

To protect both yourself and your client in the event of a dispute, you need to include a non-disclosure agreement. This is especially important if you're dealing with sensitive information, such as private coaching sessions or proprietary business plans.

Your contract should make it clear that any confidential material shared between the parties must remain secret and not be disclosed to third parties without written consent. It's highly recommended to get legal assistance when writing this section, as it can mean the difference between a successful coaching relationship and a costly legal battle.

Limited Liability

Though you've already mentioned and clarified your role as a coach, it helps to have an entire section that outlines the limits of your liability. Specify that you can't be held responsible for any decisions taken or actions performed by the client during or after their coaching sessions.

"The Coach cannot be held responsible for any decisions taken or actions performed by the Client as a result of coaching sessions. The Coach is not liable for any damages, losses, liabilities or costs incurred by the Client in relation to their coaching program. The Client is solely responsible for their own decisions and any consequences arising from them."

Applicable Governing Law

Finally, you should specify which law applies to your contract. If the client is based in a different state or country to you, then this can help prevent any legal complications that may arise due to conflicting laws and regulations. 

For example: 

"This agreement shall be governed by the laws of [State/Country] and any dispute arising out of or in connection with this agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located within [State/Country]."

By including all these elements, your personal coaching contract will be comprehensive and legally watertight. Both you and the client need to sign at the bottom to make the agreement official.

Once you've finished writing your contract, it's a good idea to have a lawyer review it to make sure everything is in order. Doing so will give you peace of mind and protect both parties from any potential misunderstandings or legal issues down the line.

Crafting a Comprehensive Personal Coach Contract Template

As you can see, a personal coach contract is packed with detail – so it takes time to get it right. To make life easier, you can create a template that includes all the clauses above. This way, when you land a new client, you won't have to start from scratch; simply adjust the details and you're good to go. 

Personalize your contract by adding your brand name, logo, colors, and fonts. Your clients will appreciate the consistency and professionalism and you'll establish yourself as a credible coach.

To help you get started, here's a personal coach contract template we prepared earlier! 

[Client Name] 

Address: [Street Address], [City], [State/Province], [Country], Zip Code 

Date: ___________

Re: Personal Coaching Contract 

This agreement is made between [Client Name] (the "Client") and [Coach Name] (the "Coach"). The Client wishes to engage the Coach for personal coaching services, and the Coach agrees to provide such services on the terms set out in this contract. 

Description of Coaching: Coaching, defined as a partnership (non-legal) between the Coach and the Client, is designed to help the Client identify their goals, create action plans and develop strategies for achieving success. Coaching is forward-looking rather than backward-facing; it focuses on helping clients become more aware of their potential and how they can reach it.

1. Coaching Relationship

A. The Coach agrees to provide [service] coaching services to the Client for [length of contract] commencing on the date of this agreement. The Coach is not an employee, contractor or legal representative of the Client and will provide coaching services as an independent professional. 

B. The Client is solely responsible for any decisions taken or actions performed as a result of the coaching sessions. The Coach is not liable for any damages, losses, liabilities or costs incurred by the Client in relation to their coaching program. 

C. The Coach...

D. The Client...

2. Services Offered

The Client-Coach relationship will involve the following services:

A. [Service 1] 

B. [Service 2] 

C. [Service 3] 

The Coach and Client agree to engage in this program from the commencement date of [Date] for a total of [Number] sessions. The duration of each session will be approximately one hour, and the Coach and Client agree to meet either in person or via video call every week on [Day/Time].

3. Payment Schedule

The Client will pay the Coach a fee of [Amount] for each session in advance, either through [payment method]. Payment is non-refundable and failure to make payment on time may result in termination of this contract without notice. If additional sessions are required, the Client and Coach will [agree on a new payment schedule/negotiate the same fee].

4. Cancellation and Refund Policy

Cancellation of coaching sessions must be done at least [hours/days] in advance. Failure to do so will result in [consequences/penalties, e.g. forfeiture of the session fee]. If either party wishes to terminate this agreement at any time, they must provide [number] days' written notice before the termination date. A refund will not be provided for any unused session fees. 

5. Confidentiality & Privacy

A. The Coach agrees to keep all information shared by the Client confidential, except in circumstances where disclosure is required by law or regulation. 

B. The Coach will only use the Client's personal data for the purpose of providing coaching services, and will not use it for any other purpose without the Client's explicit consent. 

C. The Coach agrees to keep all records relating to the Client in a secure environment and will delete them upon completion of the contract period. 

6. Limited Liability

The Coach is not liable for any damages, losses or costs incurred by the Client in relation to this coaching program. The Coach does not guarantee results and will not be held responsible for any outcomes that may arise from the Client's decision to undertake coaching sessions. 

7. Governing Law

This agreement shall be governed by the laws of [State/Country] and any dispute arising out of or in connection with this agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located within [State/Country]. 

8. Signatures 

[Coach Name] _________________________ 

[Client Name] _________________________

Wrap Up

Working as a personal life coach is incredibly rewarding. You get to experience firsthand how you can help others to create and reach their personal goals. In order to ensure a successful relationship with your clients, however, you need to put together a detailed contract that outlines the expectations of both parties. 

Writing up such an agreement might seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little preparation and thought, you can create a comprehensive contract that will help ensure the success of your coaching business.

No time to draft your own contract? No worries. At Bonsai, we've got a selection of legally-reviewed coaching templates to help you get started. Sign up for a free 7-day trial today.

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