Coaching Agreement Lawyers for District of Columbia

This 10-page Health and Wellness Coaching Agreement is a lawyer-drafted template that clearly defines the relationship between a coach and a client for health, wellness, and lifestyle coaching services. It explains exactly what coaching is (and is not), outlines the coaching package and fees, sets boundaries around medical and mental health issues, and includes robust disclaimers, privacy terms, and liability protections. The result is a professional, easy-to-read contract you can use with every new client to protect your practice, manage expectations, and support an ethical, high-trust coaching relationship. Who this Agreement is for: • Health and wellness coaches offering 1:1 or package-based coaching programs. • Fitness, nutrition, holistic, or lifestyle coaches who are not acting as licensed medical or mental health providers in the coaching relationship. • Therapists, dietitians, or other licensed professionals who also offer separate coaching services and need to clearly separate coaching from treatment. • Small coaching practices and solo practitioners who want consistent, lawyer-drafted paperwork for every client. • Online coaches, hybrid providers, and wellness entrepreneurs who coach via phone, video, or other virtual platforms. Key clauses included in this template: • Purpose of Agreement and Nature of Coaching. Explains the goal of the coaching relationship and defines coaching as a collaborative, educational process focused on behavior change and personal growth. • Medical, Mental Health, and Professional Disclaimers. Clarifies that coaching is not medical care, psychotherapy, or any licensed healthcare service, that no diagnosis or treatment is provided, and that the client must work with their own healthcare and other licensed professionals for medical, mental health, legal, tax, or financial advice. • Scope of Services and Coaching Package. Describes the coaching package details, including number and length of sessions, format (phone, video, in-person), duration, and between-session support, and distinguishes additional services that fall outside the package. • Fees, Payment, Refunds, and Chargebacks. Sets the total fee, payment schedule, acceptable payment methods, late fees, rates for extra services, refund options (including non-refundable or pro-rated structures), and a clear prohibition on chargebacks without good-faith resolution efforts. • Term and Termination. Defines when the Agreement starts and ends, allows either party to terminate, describes circumstances where the coach may end the relationship (nonpayment, inappropriate behavior, or needs beyond scope), and explains what happens to outstanding fees and refunds at termination. • Scheduling, Cancellation, and Rescheduling. Outlines how sessions are scheduled, the required notice to cancel or reschedule, when a missed or late-canceled session is forfeited, and how coach cancellations are handled. • Mutual Expectations and Client Responsibilities. Sets expectations for active participation, honest communication, completing action steps, informing the coach of relevant health conditions, and consulting appropriate professionals before making medical, legal, or financial decisions. • Coach Responsibilities and Professional Boundaries. Requires the coach to operate within their training and scope of practice, maintain appropriate boundaries, accurately represent qualifications, and recommend outside support when needed. • Confidentiality, Privacy, and Data Protection. Describes how client information is kept confidential, explains the lack of legal privilege compared to attorney or therapist relationships, lists exceptions for safety or legal requirements, and sets basic privacy, data use, and data breach notification practices. • Client Data Rights and HIPAA Status. Addresses client rights to access or correct personal information where required by law and clarifies whether HIPAA applies to the coaching business. • Intellectual Property and Materials. Confirms that all worksheets, frameworks, methods, and other coaching materials remain the coach’s intellectual property and grants the client a limited, personal-use license only. • Testimonials, Photos, and Marketing (Optional). Provides an optional structure for requesting testimonials and using client feedback or images in marketing, subject to separate written consent and revocation rules. • Assumption of Risk, No Guarantees, and Limitation of Liability. States that the client assumes risks related to lifestyle changes, confirms there are no guaranteed results, limits the coach’s liability to fees paid within a defined time period, and includes a waiver and release to the extent permitted by law. • Electronic Communications and Technology. Addresses session formats (phone, video, online platforms), technology and security risks, lack of emergency services via electronic channels, procedures for technical interruptions, and rules around recording sessions. • Dispute Resolution, Governing Law, and Venue. Encourages good-faith informal resolution first and provides options for either open legal remedies or binding arbitration, along with governing law and venue provisions. • Miscellaneous Business Terms. Includes entire agreement, amendment, severability, assignment, no waiver, independent contractor status, force majeure, and e-signature and counterparts language to round out a complete, professional contract. Use this Agreement to give every health and wellness client a clear, professional framework for your coaching work, and purchase and download the template today so you can start using it in your very next client onboarding.

As an experienced lawyer with nearly 15 years of practical experience in reviewing and drafting business contracts and other agreements, I created this template coaching agreement to assist coaching professionals formally engage with clients. In addition, I offer legal services packages set up if you need additional help with the template (i.e., reviewing it after you filled it out, needing help filling it out, etc.).

Overview of the Coaching Agreement Template

My coaching agreement template establishes a formal, binding contract between a coach and their client that outlines the terms and conditions of the coaching relationship. This document specifies the scope of services to be provided, session schedules, fees and payment terms, confidentiality agreements, and the goals or outcomes the client hopes to achieve through coaching.

What is Included in the Coaching Agreement Template?

My template coaching agreement contains key provisions associated with a formal engagement between a coach and a client. In addition, these provisions can be modified to suit your particular engagement. Let’s take a look at some of the modifiable sections of my template coaching agreement:

• Coaching Services: In this section, you have the option to go into detail about the types of coaching services you plan to provide to the client. The description of your services is important since it can help refine the scope of the agreement and help clarify expectations of what your services entail.
• Term and Termination: In this section, you can set the duration of the engagement between you and the client, along with the option to extend the contract in the future. This section can also be used to set forth a process for terminating the agreement.
• Cancellation Policy: This section sets forth the amount of notice you expect to receive from the client, in the event they need to cancel a coaching session.
• Confidentiality: This section sets forth the protections that must be afforded to any confidential or private information exchanged between you and the client.
• Liability Limitations: This section can help set clear boundaries between you and your client. For example, this section can expressly state that the client is solely responsible for their physical, mental and/or emotional well-being, and that you, the coach, will not be liable or responsible for any of the client’s actions or inaction, or for any direct or indirect result of any services provided by you.

Who Should Use the Template Coaching Agreement?

My template coaching agreement may be used by individuals or companies that wish to provide coaching services to individual clients and organizational clients.<br />Benefits of Using the Coaching Agreement Template

Using my coaching agreement template can help in establishing a formalized agreement between you and your clients, particularly when it comes to setting expectations and agreeing on particular deliverables. A formal coaching agreement also creates a record of accountability and can be used as evidence if there are any legal issues or disputes regarding the agreement or coaching services provided.

If there is a legal dispute concerning the provisions of the coaching agreement (e.g., breach of contract, improper termination, non-payment in violation of stated compensation structure, etc.), you may need to escalate the matter to litigation. If that situation arises, having an experienced attorney by your side can pay dividends. My legal services are available. If hired, I will be there for you every step of the way, offering clear communication, accurate legal guidance, and proactive solutions.

This coaching agreement template includes the below sections:

1. Coaching Services
2. Term
3. Fee
4. Cancellation Policy
5. Confidentiality
6. Limited Liability
7. Miscellaneous Terms