If you want to feel confident that your coaching client agreement will actually do its job when a client relationship goes sideways, this guide walks you through the six elements your one-on-one contract must contain. These are the exact issues I’ve seen repeatedly in real coaching disputes over the last decade—so you’ll know the contract you’re using today will hold up when you need it most.
Why Most Coaches Are Using Contracts That Don’t Protect Them
Two slightly-controversial truths about coaching contracts:
- If someone handed you a single contract and said, “This works for everything,” it doesn’t.
Just like one workout won’t meet every fitness goal, one contract cannot protect you in every coaching scenario. - If you’re using the same agreement for 1:1 coaching, group coaching, masterminds, events, and courses, that contract has serious holes.
Each delivery model presents completely different risks, obligations, boundaries, and expectations. The law treats them differently, too.
That’s why a strong legal foundation for a coaching business requires multiple agreements—not a single Frankenstein document attempting to cover every situation.
What This Post Covers
Here, we’re focusing exclusively on one-on-one coaching agreements. Future posts will cover group programs, courses, retreats, masterminds, and more.
If you want a deeper dive into what every coaching agreement needs (no matter the program), you can watch my training Meeting With My Lawyer. It covers the four universal contract requirements I review with all my clients.
1. A Clear Description of What the Client Is Getting (More Than a Receipt)
Every contract should list the program details—number of calls, length of calls, program duration, price, etc.
But if that’s all the contract does, it’s nothing more than a receipt.
Real disputes almost never center around “What did I buy?” Instead, they arise from:
• How rescheduling works
• How communication works
• What happens when clients disappear
• What happens when payments fail
• What is not included
Your contract must speak to these issues directly to protect your time, energy, and revenue.
2. A Drop-Dead Date for Using Coaching Calls
This is one of the most important (and most often missing) terms.
Your contract must state that:
All sessions must be used by a specific date, or they are forfeited.
Why?
Because clients fall off the map for all kinds of reasons. Without an end date, you could have someone reappear 18 months later demanding that you resume coaching—even if you don’t offer that package anymore.
Clients aren’t just paying for call time. They are paying for you to hold space, block time, prepare, and maintain the infrastructure to deliver on your promise. An end-date protects that capacity.
3. “Up To” Session Language (Not Guaranteed Session Counts)
Instead of promising 12 calls in 12 weeks, use language such as:
“This program includes up to 12 calls during the 12-week term.”
Why this matters:
Clients miss sessions, cancel last-minute, or fail to book. You shouldn’t be required to extend the program or issue a refund because they weren’t available.
This simple phrasing keeps your boundaries clear and prevents the “but I thought I was entitled to…” conversation later.
4. A Reference to Your Billing Policies and Business Policies
Your agreement shouldn’t be a 20-page brick nobody wants to read.
Instead, keep the contract readable, and incorporate two external policies:
• Billing Policies: How failed payments, card declines, and payment plan issues are handled.
• Business Policies: Communication boundaries—response times, channels, after-hours rules, emergency procedures, and more.
These policies clarify expectations without overloading the contract text, and they give you a defensible framework when clients test boundaries.
5. Intellectual Property Rules for Any Content Provided
If your 1:1 clients receive access to:
• Worksheets
• Trainings
• Courses
• Templates
• Proprietary methodologies
Your contract must clearly state:
• How they may use the materials
• How they may not use the materials
• Whether they can share materials with others
• How long they retain access
Most clients genuinely don’t realize misuse is copyright infringement—they assume “If I bought it, I can use it anywhere.” Preventing this misunderstanding protects your content and avoids uncomfortable conversations later.
6. A Clear Refund (or No-Refund) Policy Inside the Contract
Your refund policy cannot live only on your order form.
Anything important must appear within the four corners of your contract. This ensures:
• Your client actually agreed to it
• You can enforce it
• Your payment processor will honor it
• Your credit card dispute evidence is airtight
If you ever need to prove that a client is not entitled to a refund, credit card companies look at the contract—not your sales page.
In the next post/video, we’re covering when you legally must give a refund, even if your contract says you don’t.
The Bonus Clause Most Coaches Forget: What’s Not Included
While not legally required, explicitly listing what is not included can shut down payment disputes before they start.
Examples:
• No after-hours emergencies
• No done-for-you work
• No unlimited messaging
• No deliverables beyond coaching sessions
• No support between calls (unless included)
This makes it easy for a credit card company to side with you, because the contract plainly says the client was not entitled to that service.
Final Thoughts: Your Contract Should Protect You When It Counts
A good coaching contract protects:
• Your time
• Your energy
• Your revenue
• Your intellectual property
• Your client relationships
• Your reputation
If your current agreement doesn’t give you confidence, now is the perfect time to update it.
For an affordable, done-for-you option, the Coach’s Legal Starter Kit includes the exact agreements I give my custom legal clients, designed specifically for one-on-one coaching relationships.
And don’t forget to watch Meeting With My Lawyer for the universal contract principles every coach needs.
Stay tuned—our next video covers refund policies and the situations where you must issue a refund (even if you don’t want to).
