A client agreement is the conversation about money, cancellations and health that you would rather have once, in writing, than every week by text. This is a template in the sense of a structure and some starting wording, not a document to sign as is. Australian Consumer Law applies to your clients, unfair contract terms are unenforceable, and a waiver does less than most trainers think, so have a lawyer or your insurer look at the final version.
What an agreement is for
Three things. It sets expectations about what you deliver and when. It records how and when you are paid, and what happens when a session is missed. And it captures the client's health disclosure and consent, which protects both of you. It is not a tool for trapping people; an agreement a client would be surprised by is one that will not hold up.
The sections
1. The parties
Your name or business name and ABN, and the client's full name and contact details. If you trade under a business name, use it. If you are registered for GST, say so here or in the fees section.
2. The services
What you are providing in one or two sentences: in-person sessions of a stated length at a stated location, online coaching with programs and check-ins through an app, or both. Say what is not included, for example nutrition plans if you do not provide them, or that online coaching does not include supervision of exercise.
Starting point: *"The trainer will provide one-on-one personal training sessions of 45 minutes at [location], and a training program and weekly check-in delivered through the TrainerStack client app."*
3. Fees and payment
The price, whether it includes GST, and how it is collected: per session, as a pack of a set number of sessions, or as a weekly or monthly subscription. State when payment is due, whether packs expire, and what happens if a payment fails.
Starting point: *"Sessions are sold in packs of 10 at $[amount] including GST, payable in advance by card through a payment link. A pack is valid for [number] weeks from purchase. If a subscription payment fails, sessions pause until it is resolved."*
Keep expiry periods reasonable. A pack that expires in a month on a client who was sick is the kind of term a tribunal reads as unfair.
4. Cancellation and late-arrival policy
The clause you will use most. State the notice required to cancel without losing the session, what happens inside that window, and what happens if you cancel. Twenty-four hours is the common standard.
Starting point: *"Sessions cancelled with at least 24 hours' notice are rescheduled at no cost. Sessions cancelled with less notice, or missed, are charged in full, except where the trainer agrees otherwise for illness or emergency. If the trainer cancels, the session is rescheduled at no cost."*
Make it workable rather than strict. A policy you waive every time is worse than a fairer one you apply.
5. Health disclosure and screening
The client confirms they have completed a pre-exercise screening questionnaire, will tell you about any change in their health, and that they take part in exercise at their own choice. This is where the PAR-Q attaches.
Starting point: *"The client has completed the pre-exercise questionnaire honestly, will tell the trainer of any injury, illness, pregnancy or change in medication, and understands the trainer may ask for medical clearance before continuing."*
6. Risk, waiver and what the law allows
Exercise carries a risk of injury, and the client acknowledging that is reasonable. What a clause cannot do is remove your responsibility to deliver services with due care and skill; the Australian Consumer Law guarantees that and a contract cannot exclude it. Some states let a supplier of recreational services limit liability for personal injury under specific conditions, and the wording is prescribed, so this is the clause to get professional advice on rather than copy from the internet. Your professional indemnity and public liability insurance is the real protection; the clause is a supplement.
7. Photos, testimonials and privacy
If you want to use before-and-after photos or quotes, ask here, with a box the client can decline. State what you collect, that it is stored securely, and that you will not share it. If you use a platform that holds the data, name it.
8. Term and termination
How long the agreement runs, how either side ends it, and what happens to unused sessions or a subscription when it does. A notice period of one or two weeks on a subscription is normal. Unused pack sessions after a client ends the arrangement are a judgement call; refunding them minus sessions used is the safest default.
9. Changes
How you will change prices or terms: in writing, with notice, with the client free to end the agreement before the change applies.
10. Signatures
Name, date and signature for both. A typed name on a form the client submits, or a tick box they must check before paying, is generally fine for this kind of agreement, but a lawyer can confirm what is appropriate for your terms.
Putting it to use
Have every new client complete the health screening and accept the terms before the first session, not after. In TrainerStack the PAR-Q is sent as a link from the lead's record and flagged if anything needs a look, and your cancellation notice period is set once under Settings so the client app warns clients when they are cancelling inside it. Your agreement can be a page on your link page or a PDF you send with the payment link.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a written agreement with every client?
It is strongly advisable. Verbal arrangements are agreements too, but the cancellation and payment terms are the ones that cause disputes, and those are far easier to resolve with something written that the client accepted.
Can a waiver stop a client suing me if they get injured?
Not on its own. Australian Consumer Law guarantees that services are provided with due care and skill, and a contract term cannot exclude that guarantee. Some states allow limited exclusions for recreational services with prescribed wording. Get advice on that clause, and carry professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
What cancellation period is reasonable?
Twenty-four hours is the common standard for one-on-one sessions. Longer periods are harder to justify as fair, and the term has to be one you actually apply.
Can I use this template as is?
Use it for the structure and the starting wording, then have the final document checked by a lawyer or your insurer. Terms that are unfair to a consumer are unenforceable, and the liability clause in particular depends on your state.