Tips for Drafting a Demand Letter

Peace is better than war, because conflict resolutions can be made without a wastage of life and resources. ~ Gugu Mona

As a follow up to our pre-litigation post on dispute resolution options, today we’re sharing our tips for drafting a demand letter:

• First, organize your background facts in sufficient detail. Then, draft your background facts in chronological order.

• To raise your chances of amicably resolving your dispute, be as courteous and polite as possible to set a good tone throughout the letter.

• Write the demand letter with the goal of settling your dispute outside of court by asking for what you want, being as direct as possible, and describing any claims you have against the recipient of the demand letter.

• Include a specific deadline for the recipient to respond to your demand letter. Anywhere from 7 to 10 days is generally acceptable.

• Conclude by expressing that while you prefer and are willing to settle the dispute outside of court, you will pursue legal remedies, such as by filing a lawsuit, if the recipient fails to meet the requests in your demand letter.

• If you reference any documents to support your facts or arguments, attach those to the demand letter.

• Send your demand letter via certified mail with a return receipt requested and by regular mail with tracking confirmation.

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*This blog post should not be construed as legal advice on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general information purposes only.