What is a Legal Client Letter
A legal client letter is a communication tool lawyers use to provide updates and details about their legal matters. It is a formal document that outlines the current status, provides relevant information, and informs clients about any steps that may be required on their part. The purpose of a legal client letter is to keep clients informed and engaged in the process, ensuring that they are aware of any legal issues or changes that may affect their case.
These letters are essential for several reasons. Firstly, they help to set client expectations by providing them with a clear understanding of what they can anticipate from their legal representation. Secondly , they serve as a record of all communications, which can be referred back to at any time for clarification or review. Lastly, they contribute to professional and efficient communication by ensuring that all pertinent information is communicated in a concise and organized manner.
Legal client letters typically address current legal issues, such as changes in the law, updates on case progress, and notifications about hearings, deadlines, or other important legal events. They may also explain complex legal concepts in a way that clients can understand, helping to demystify the legal process and alleviate any concerns or confusion they may have.
Components of a Legal Client Letter
The components of a legal client letter are fairly standardized, bearing a similarity to many other business correspondence formats. However, there are a few areas where the specific requirements of a legal letter are imperative.
Greeting: The salutation, or greeting, opens the letter. Most contacts will use "Dear [Client’s Name]" for a formal letter. Either spelling out your client’s name in full or using Mr., Ms., or Dr., followed by their last name is appropriate. First names are generally reserved for informal correspondence or for clients with whom you have developed a close relationship.
Introduction: The introduction gives the reader an idea of what the letter contains. In some cases (referring to a previous conversation, confirming a previous meeting or promising to act on a call), it will be little more than, "as we discussed, I am enclosing [whatever actions you are promising]."
Body: The body, or most substantial portion, of the letter is where you can expect to find precise details. A discussion of specific rules and regulations, precise fees, and other special situations will need to take precedence in this section. Introducing any enclosures or important reactions from the client may also be appropriate here.
Conclusion: The conclusion wraps things up for the client, thanking them for their business or asking them to contact you again. It allows you to mention any relevant future actions, like upcoming dates or projects.
Signature: This section is fairly simple, but extremely important. There are a few points you will want to include, even in an unorthodox format letter. Unless your letter is transcribed to digital format, you should sign your name with ink. You will also want to type out your name, making it legible, underneath the signature. You may also include the name of your firm and your title, so that there is no confusion over who is contacting the client, or to represent the full firm.
Legal Client Letter Structure
Your legal clients are inundated with letters, emails, and faxes from every angle. Many may not be aware of how important it is that they read what you have written to them, especially when it comes to contract terms, your services, the law, and anything else. The wording, however, is up to you, and should be done with an eye for technical words but also for the sake of clarity.
Formal letters always have a correct structure that is determined based on the purpose of the letter itself. For example, if you are writing a legal demand letter, you want to include the facts of the case, the applicable law, the definition of the legal cause of action at hand and the amount of damages that is being demanded for your letter to be effective. You also want to give your clients an idea of what they can expect as far as response.
After this, you need to add the facts of the case, in order to paint a picture of the situation so that the letter makes sense. A good rule of thumb is to present the facts in chronological order, and to be certain that you have all of the facts before you begin writing. Otherwise, vital information may be missing.
The next portion of a well-written client letter should be an explanation of the applicable law. This will be more or less difficult, again, depending on your purpose for writing the letter. If there is only one applicable law, than that is what you want to include.
If, on the other hand, you are writing a retention agreement, or need to explain why your client shouldn’t expect a contingency fee when his or her case is a flat fee, than you need to be sure to include a more complex discussion about the law itself. If necessary, use references to cases that can elaborate on the facts of the case, and how they are interpreted in great detail. You may even want to use the court’s interpretation of the facts, as those are highly specific.
The actual definition of the legal cause of action is next, as well as the amount of damages that are demanded by you and how that total was reached. With this information, you can then add the date by which your adversary must respond to the legal demand.
If you have included a list of documents, as well as copies of those documents, this would be the time to notate that fact. You can then conclude the letter with a standard closing, including information about how to contact you and how to confirm the receipt of documents if necessary.
Finally, you can then close the letter by using an appropriate closing such as "Sincerely" or "Thank you," and include your signature.
A Guide to Writing a Legal Client Letter
When you sit down to compose a letter to a client, consider the following:
Be Concise. In law school, we often heard the term "puffing": exaggerating something to make it seem much better (or worse) than it really is. We do it with ice cream for example, selling a large, double-scoop serving for those who think they can handle it. As lawyers, we should not be puffing anything in our letters to clients. We need to be clear and concise in our communications with clients. A long letter full of irrelevant information will only leave the client confused and more importantly, paying more legal fees than necessary. Be clear and concise in your language so the client understands exactly what you are trying to say. If necessary, request further information from the client so you can provide the correct advice, but keep it brief.
Be Respectful. Clients come to you for a reason and most are appreciative of your help. Be sure to show that same respect back to them in your letters. Especially when you are disagreeing with a client. Explain to the client why you have a different opinion on an issue. If necessary and if the relationship allows it, simply inform the client that you will be ceasing to represent them going forward. Whatever you do, do so respectfully.
Be Direct. These are your legal fees and your law firm’s reputation on the line. Do not allow your clients to engage in illegal behavior and put you, your law firm, and all the other clients they have relationships with, at risk . If a client wants to engage in illegal behavior or skirt the rules, politely inform them that you will not be assisting them with the issues at hand and end the relationship. Always explain to them why you have to end the relationship: you care about their other business relationships and if they persist in their illegal behavior, you will lose those relationships as well. The last thing you should be doing is sending a letter saying you will continue to represent the client regardless of how they proceed. That is asking for trouble down the line.
Be Neutral and Avoid Legalese. You are not writing a brief; your goal is not to convince anyone of anything. Your letters should be objective, you aren’t arguing any points and you certainly do not want to lose your objectivity by using legalese in your letters. Remember, most of our clients will not be lawyers, so use plain language and avoid any legalese unless absolutely necessary. Additionally, provide a short description of any legal terms you have to use. For example, if you mention a "power of attorney," it is likely the client will have no idea what that is. Provide a short description, such as "a power of attorney is a written authorization granting one person the power to act as another person’s agent". Get to the point without unnecessary details: the attorney doesn’t need to know the lengthy and complicated process of creating a will.
Effective Legal Client Letter Samples
[Date]
[Client Name]
[Client Address]
[City, State Zip Code]
Dear [Client Name]:
Thanks for sending two copies of your Trust document so that I could be sure to get your new Trustee appointment correct. In response to your comments, I have made a few very minor revisions. [If applicable, summarize the nature of the revisions made, e.g., "As we discussed, I have simply moved a few paragraphs around so that the directions to the Administrator are contained within the master Trust document." If there are no changes, remove this section.]
I still recommend the addition of the special needs language to ensure that Steven’s government benefits are not jeopardized. [If applicable, summarize the nature of the revisions made, e.g., "As we discussed, I have simply moved a few paragraphs around so that the directions to the Administrator are contained within the master Trust document." If there are no changes, remove this section.]
[If applicable, provide any other additional or optional notes regarding the communication. For example:]
As I explained in our meeting, the provisions you include in your Trust document directed to the Administrator will not be legally binding unless you include them in the master Trust document. The reason for this is that the master Trust, which is signed and notarized by you, is what actually owns your assets. If the provisions are included in the master Trust document, the Trustee will be obligated to follow your directives.
As always, please feel free to contact my office if you have any questions.
Best,
[Signature]
[Printed Name]
Legal Client Letter Mistakes
While many common mistakes made in law firm client letters are small, they can have an outsized impact on your communication’s clarity and interpretation. Here are a few common pitfalls to avoid: One of the most common mistakes is using unclear or overly legalistic language. Your letter should be simple and conversational. Avoiding "legal-ese" will make it easier for your client to understand and follow. Don’t use language that they would need a law degree to comprehend, as that will just confuse them and frustrate them. When discussing anything legally-related, make sure you always err on the side of caution. If you feel like you need an abridged version to include in the client letter, remember that legally you should almost always warn clients of the worst-case scenario . Even if you think that the scenario is unlikely to occur, it is better to be safe than sorry. Your tone is another important quality to ensure is appropriate for your audience. Using the wrong tone in a client letter can lead to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. If you feel like your tone might be misconstrued or inappropriate at any point, consider having another lawyer review it before sending. Once you finish writing your letter, it can be very easy to forget about the small details of your communication. Always ensure you spell names correctly. There is nothing worse than receiving a client letter that has names misspelled or errors in numbers. Even small mistakes will get caught by the receiver and perceived negatively.