Coaching Agreement: What to Include
A coaching agreement should at least include: the parties, the goal and format of the program, the number and length of sessions, fees and payment terms, the cancellation policy, confidentiality and its limits, how personal data is handled, the roles of coach and client, and how the program ends. That way you and your client know from the first session what to expect.
Many coaches work with a verbal agreement or a short email. That works fine, until a session is cancelled, an invoice goes unpaid or a client asks what happens to their data. The ICF Code of Ethics also explicitly asks coaches to make clear agreements with their clients.
The Parts of a Coaching Agreement
| Part | What you record |
|---|---|
| Parties | Name and details of coach and client, and the sponsor in employer-funded programs |
| Goal and format | The coaching question in broad terms, online or in person, individual or group |
| Scope | Number of sessions, length per session, duration of the program |
| Fees and payment | Amount per session or program, taxes, payment terms |
| Cancellation | Until when rescheduling is free, and what happens after that |
| Confidentiality | What stays confidential, and the exceptions (for example acute danger or a legal obligation) |
| Privacy | Which data you record, where, for how long and which rights the client has |
| Roles | What the client can expect from you and what you expect from the client, and that coaching is not therapy |
| Ending | How the program ends, and how either party can stop early |
Three-Way Agreements in Employer-Funded Programs
When an employer pays for the program, there are three parties. Then also record:
- What the sponsor will and will not hear. Usually only whether the program is running, not what is discussed.
- Whether there is a midway or final meeting with the sponsor, and who attends.
- Who sets the goal. Ideally the client, in consultation.
Practical Tips
- Keep it readable. Two pages in plain language work better than ten pages of legal jargon.
- Discuss it, do not just send it. Go through the main points in the discovery call or intake. See the coaching discovery call.
- Have it signed before the first session. Then nobody starts with uncertainty.
- Work with one standard version and only change what differs per client.
- Store signed agreements carefully, with date and version. Also see the year-end admin checklist.
- Have your standard text checked legally if in doubt, for example through your professional body.
Common Mistakes
- No cancellation policy, which turns a cancelled session into an awkward conversation.
- Promising confidentiality without naming its limits.
- Saying nothing about privacy, while you do keep notes and records.
- No agreement about the end, so programs quietly fade out.
Please note: this overview is not legal advice. What is required or allowed in your situation depends on the country you work in and on your arrangements. If in doubt, have your agreement checked by a lawyer or your professional body.
Coaching Agreements in FocusCoachee
In FocusCoachee you set up a coaching agreement per program. Your client reads and signs digitally, and you both have a verifiable record of what was agreed and when. Agreements are kept according to a fixed retention period, even after the program has been closed.
Read also:
