10 Must-Have Boundaries in Your Coaching Contract Template to Protect Time, Money & Sanity
Ever had a client push for “just a few more minutes,” reschedule last minute, or blame you when they don’t get the results they wanted? Without a coaching contract template, these situations can spiral into stress, frustration, and wasted energy.
The truth is: even the best clients can test your limits if boundaries aren’t clear. Coaching only works when you protect your time, set expectations upfront, and put responsibility back where it belongs — on the client.
That’s where your coaching contract template comes in. As a lawyer who drafts contracts for coaches like you, I’ve seen how a simple coaching agreement template without clear boundaries can lead to scope creep, refund disputes, and put your sanity at risk.
That’s exactly why I created my Coaching Contract Template — so you can focus on coaching while your money and sanity are protected by a coaching contract template free of fluff.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the 10 must-have boundaries every coaching contract template needs to keep clients from crossing the line and to ensure your business runs smoothly.
This post is all about the key protections every coaching contract template should (but often doesn’t) include to protect your time, money, and energy.
Best Coaching Contract Template
The 10 Key Boundaries Any Coaching Contract Template Free of Fluff Should Have
1. Boundaries on Availability — So Clients Don’t Expect You 24/7
Without clear boundaries, you’ll get messages during dinner, requests for Sunday night calls, and clients who expect instant responses.
Your coaching contract template should spell out exactly when you’re available:
Which days you take client calls.
The specific hours you’re reachable.
Your time zone (because clients across the world won’t guess it).
When clients know your schedule upfront, you avoid those 11PM “quick questions” that turn into half-hour calls.
👉 Want the exact language to set these boundaries? Use my Coaching Contract Template!
2. Boundaries in Consultations — No More “Just 5 More Minutes” That Turn Into 30
Ever had a client keep chatting after your 60-minute session, and suddenly you’re 30 minutes over with no extra pay? Or a client who cancels an hour before your call, leaving you stuck with wasted time you can’t fill?
Without an ironclad coaching contract template free of fluff, this happens more often than you’d think.
Here’s what to cover in your coaching contract template:
How and when clients can book sessions.
What platform you’ll use (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.).
The exact length of each session (and that “a few extra minutes” aren’t included).
Your rescheduling policy — and what happens if clients cancel too late.
A no-refund clause for missed sessions.
👉 Translation: you protect your calendar, your time, and your income.
Want this spelled out with plug-and-play wording? Use my Coaching Contract Template!
3. Boundaries on Services — So Clients Don’t Expect Unlimited Extras
Here’s the truth: if you don’t draw the line, clients will. And usually, they’ll push it way past your comfort zone.
For example, you agreed to two sessions a month, but suddenly they want a “quick” extra call. Or you created a strategy plan, and now they’re asking for weekly check-ins you never offered. If you just use a simple coaching agreement template without limits, scope creep can eat up your schedule and energy fast.
Your coaching contract template should make clear:
Exactly what’s included (sessions, check-ins, materials).
That you have the right to say no to extra requests.
That additional services come with additional fees.
With these boundaries, clients know what they’re paying for, and you don’t get trapped working overtime for free.
Need wording that makes this crystal clear without sounding harsh? My Coaching Contract Template includes it all.
4. Boundaries on Communication — Keep Clients Out of Your Instagram DMs
If you don’t set rules on how clients can contact you, you’ll end up drowning in pings from every platform imaginable. One client texts you at 7AM, another sends a Facebook message, and another floods your Instagram DMs with “quick questions.”
That’s why your coaching contract template should make it crystal clear:
Which platform you use for coaching calls (Zoom, Skype, Teams, etc.).
Which channel you use for check-ins (WhatsApp, text, or email).
That no other communication methods are allowed — no surprise voice notes on IG, no LinkedIn messages, no TikTok comments.
👉 This protects your time and your sanity, while keeping everything in one place.
Want ready-made wording that closes off those leaky communication channels? It’s already in my Coaching Contract Template.
5. Boundaries on Response Times — Protect Your Sanity (and Your Inbox)
If you don’t set expectations around response times, clients may assume you’re available on demand. That means midnight emails followed by “Did you see this yet?” messages the next morning. On the flip side, if they take days (or weeks) to reply, your coaching progress stalls.
Your coaching contract template should:
Set a clear response time for you (so clients know when to expect a reply — and don’t chase you).
Set a response time for them (so they can’t disappear and then blame you for lack of results).
Make it clear that you’re not liable if they miss deadlines, ignore instructions, or fail to follow through.
Want an Ironclad Coaching Contract Template That Includes All the Boundaries You Need?
By now, you can see how quickly coaching can spiral if your boundaries aren’t airtight. And honestly, you shouldn’t have to spend hours piecing together legal wording yourself.
That’s why I created my Coaching Contract Template — lawyer-drafted, fluff-free, and packed with all these boundaries (plus more you haven’t thought of yet).
With it, you’ll:
✅ Stop clients from pushing past your limits.
✅ Avoid refund headaches and disputes.
✅ Protect your time, money, and energy from day one.
👉 Ready to coach with confidence? Get the Coaching Contract Template here.
6. The right to do things your way
Your client may have certain expectations on how you will provide your coaching services, but you ultimately know how your coaching skills will benefit the client in the best way. And sometimes, your scope needs a little tweaking. Sometimes, you may not be available for Zoom, but you can make a phone call instead. You need to have the flexibility to change the services when necessary.
Therefore, your coaching contract template needs to provide you the rights and the freedom to amend your services and strategy at your sole discretion.
7. Boundaries on late payments
Some of the most important boundaries to set in your coaching contract template are boundaries on late payments.
If your client does not pay you (on time), you should not have to keep providing your services to the client. However, the right to essentially stop providing services until your client pays you must be included in your online coaching contract template. Otherwise, you will be in breach of the contract, too.
Thus, your coaching contract template must include the following rights:
You need to include the right to charge late payment fees if the client does not pay you on time. Ensure that the late payment fees do not exceed the maximum amounts provided by the laws of your state or country. Otherwise, such terms may be null and void.
Your coaching contract template should also include the right to suspend your services until your client pays you.
8. Boundaries on unacceptable behaviours
Your coaching contract template should provide for consequences in case of unacceptable behaviour.
By unacceptable behaviour, I mean behaviour that could be grounds for you to not want to work with that client anymore. For example, behaviour that is insulting, abusive, offensive, obscene, defamatory, vulgar, libellous, threatening, profane, hateful, derogatory, upsetting, misleading, etc.
For those behaviours, your coaching contract template should include the following rights:
You need to have the right to terminate the contract with immediate effect if you do not want to give the client a second chance.
If it's behaviour you can forgive, if the client stops that behaviour, you should have the option to temporarily stop your services to give your client a second chance. Therefore, your contract should include suspension as an alternative.
9. Boundaries on expectations
The next boundaries that are necessary for any coach are boundaries on expectations in relation to outcomes and results.
You are coaching the client, but you can't control the client. Thus, you have no control over the outcomes and results of the client. Also, each client is different; thus, your clients will differ in circumstances, capabilities and efforts. Thus, the results and outcomes of each client will differ, and you can't promise your clients any specific results or outcomes.
Therefore, your coaching contract template should include the disclaimers for:
the effectiveness of your coaching,
any results in relation to or outcomes from your coaching, and
any decisions made by your client based on the coaching services you provided.
10. Boundaries on sharing information
The last but not least important boundaries your coaching contract template should include ar boundaries on the sharing of information by your client.
You do not want your clients to share your information, materials, tools and techniques with others. Those are unique to your unique methods and coaching strategy. You also do not want that to be stolen and used by your clients or their friends for their own coaching clients.
Therefore, your coaching contract template must include comprehensive:
confidentiality provisions so that your client can't share your information and materials with others (whether for commercial or personal purposes), and
intellectual property provisions to ensure your client understands that the methods, techniques and materials you share with the client are all owned by you and the client may not infringe your intellectual property rights by using those for commercial purposes.
With all these boundaries in your coaching contract template, you can rest assured that your boundaries will not be crossed. You can focus on coaching your clients without worries, and your time, money, and energy are protected.
Are you looking for a simple coaching agreement template?
Are you looking for a simple coaching agreement template that includes all the boundaries you need? I am selling a reusable coaching contract template that includes all the boundaries I discuss in this blog post and more!
My online coaching contract template can be used as a contract that can be signed digitally or as online terms and conditions for easy onboarding.
Read more about the ease and efficiency of using terms and conditions instead of a contract in this blog post on the 5 Reasons to Use Online Coaching Terms and Conditions Instead of a Contract.
Get my affordable but comprehensive coaching contract template on this page of my contract shop!
Using a coaching contract template free of charge?
Maybe you do not have the budget to purchase my coaching contract template, and you are using a coaching contract template free of charge from Google or another coach.
In that case, you can use this blog post as a checklist to ensure your coaching contract template includes all the boundaries I discuss in this blog post.
This post was all about the important boundaries every online coach must set in a coaching contract template to protect their energy, time and money.
Are you considering using online coaching terms and conditions instead of contracts to engage clients? Read this blog post on the 5 Reasons to Use Online Coaching Terms and Conditions Instead of a Contract.
Want to know how to implement your coaching terms and conditions template most efficiently? Read this blog post on the 7 Simple Steps to Implement a Coaching Terms and Conditions Template For Easy Onboarding.
Are you a business coach? Read this blog post on the 7 Essentials Every Business Coach Must Have in Their Business Coaching Terms and Conditions.
Are you a life coach? Read this blog post on the 5 Essentials Every Life Coach Must Have in Their Life Coach Terms and Conditions.
Get your coaching contract template that includes all the boundaries you need (and more) on this page of my contract shop!
