Legal letters are correspondences sent by lawyers or paralegals for a number of different reasons. Some letters are sent from lawyers to clients, informing them of the status of their case. Other letters are sent to opposing counsel, witnesses, court officers or people who are involved in court cases or other types of legal action. A legal letter is usually written on a firm or company's letterhead and has several components to its conclusion.

  • Legal letters are correspondences sent by lawyers or paralegals for a number of different reasons.
  • Other letters are sent to opposing counsel, witnesses, court officers or people who are involved in court cases or other types of legal action.

Summarise the body of your letter so that the recipient clearly understands the purpose of the letter.

Restate the action that the recipient should take in response to your letter. Depending on the kind of legal letter you're sending, you may be requesting information, asking for a witness to call you to schedule a meeting or warning someone to cease and desist on a particular issue.

Indicate to the recipient that you're available to answer any questions, and provide your direct office phone number -- with extension if applicable -- and e-mail address.

Write the closing using the word "Sincerely," and, if you are including any documents or papers with your letter, write the word "Enclosures" below the closing. Sign your name and include your full job title at the bottom of the letter.

TIP

Write your letter in simple, clear language to avoid any confusion on the part of the recipient. If you use legal words, explain their meaning so that it's understandable to someone without a legal background. Make duplicates of every legal letter you send.