Do you need a lawyer to send a letter to someone? Do you live in Chicago, Joliet, Aurora, Naperville, or any other city in the State of Illinois?
If so, we can help. A well-written demand letter sent by a licensed attorney can get results whether you are owed money, have an unfair landlord, or are being harassed.
What Is a Demand Letter, and When Do You Need One?
Demand letters are formal letters that are sent from one party to another seeking to settle a dispute. The terms “demand letter” and “cease and desist letter” are frequently used interchangeably.
A demand letter commonly refers to a letter where you demand something, such as the repayment of a loan. A cease-and-desist letter is typically one where you ask the recipient to stop doing something, such as asking your neighbor (the recipient) to cease making noise at night.
There are numerous reasons why you might send a demand letter, including:
- Someone owes you money.
- Someone is not returning your property.
- You have a contract dispute.
- A landlord is not returning your deposit.
- Your neighbor is causing noise late at night or encroaching on your property.
- An employer is withholding your pay.
- Someone is harassing you or sending threatening messages.
- Someone is spreading lies about you on social media.
- Your copyrighted work is being infringed upon.
Anyone in Illinois can send a demand letter or cease and desist letter, but the most effective letters are those sent by Illinois licensed attorneys. Lawyers are skilled at writing effective legal letters, and a letter received from an attorney carries more gravitas than a letter you could send on your own.
Demand letters are frequently used as a prelude to filing a lawsuit. Ideally, however, a successful demand letter will resolve a dispute before it reaches litigation and save all parties from expensive court costs in the process.
Benefits of a Demand Letter
Hiring a lawyer to send a demand letter communicates to the other party that you intend to resolve your issue. Informal resolution attempts through telephone calls, texts, emails, or your own letters may be perceived by the recipient as being toothless.
A demand letter sent by an attorney, however, warns the other party that you are ready to take affirmative steps to get your way. In addition, lawyers are skilled at writing well-crafted letters and have relevant experience.
The obvious downside to using a lawyer to send a letter is that the service can be quite expensive. For example, lawyers in the Chicago metropolitan area can charge hundreds of dollars per hour and require retainers of thousands of dollars — not to mention the fees for services like paralegals, research, and certified mailings.
Fortunately, if you live in Illinois and need the assistance of an attorney to send a letter, DemandLetters.com can help. With Demand Letters, you pay a flat fee with no hidden charges or deposits for an Illinois-licensed lawyer to send a letter on your behalf.
The lawyers that work with Demand Letters are passionate about helping their clients and are proud to assist everyday people with their problems.
Useful Tips for Writing a Demand Letter
Hiring an attorney to write and send a demand letter is usually more effective than writing it yourself. However, if you decide to write one on your own, here are some helpful tips:
- Properly Identify the Party
Make sure you are sending the demand letter to the appropriate individual or company. As simple as this sounds, this is a frequent mistake in demand letters.
For example, if you’re sending a demand letter to a property, address it to the current tenant or owner. If you’re sending the letter as a result of a contractual breach, ensure it is addressed to the party in the notices provision.
Additionally, you might not always be aware of the recipient’s physical address. In such cases, sending a demand letter via email is acceptable.
- Give a Justification
It’s not enough to just demand a certain amount of money or action. A demand letter should state the justification for requesting the money (or other forms of compensation). In other words, justify your claim for the relief you seek.
Is this sum owed to you as compensation for lost wages resulting from a dispute with the other party? Are you asking for this money because you have a legal right to it, such as getting your security deposit back? Give your justification succinctly.
- State Any Deadlines
State the deadline for compliance explicitly. Be reasonable about setting deadlines, and ensure resolution in that time is doable.
Furthermore, if you believe you will need to file a lawsuit later, keep in mind any statutory deadlines that may apply to your case. That is the time frame the law allows you to file a lawsuit. A lawyer is the best person to advise you on any relevant deadlines.
- Be Professional and Reasonable
Be direct and professional, and leave your emotions out of the picture. Don’t insult the other party or use foul words.
When outlining your demands in the demand letter, make them as reasonable as possible. Remember, a court might read your letter one day — you want to make sure you come across as having treated the recipient with civility and fairness.
- Obtain Proof of Delivery
It’s best practice to send demand letters via certified mail or similar tracking service, which will enable you to verify that the letter was received and delivered by the mail carrier. That evidence will be crucial if your disagreement subsequently turns into a legal battle.
By sending demand letters via email, you can also track when the mail was sent and received.
Illinois Small Claim Requirements
When you’ve tried everything, including sending a demand letter, to resolve an issue without success, you might want to consider filing a lawsuit in a small claims court.
The rules in a small claims court are simpler than in most court proceedings. You are free to represent yourself in a small claims court, but you can also engage an attorney if you wish to.
Your claim may not exceed $10,000.00 because the maximum judgment allowed in small claims court in Illinois is $10,000.00 plus expenses.
Get an Attorney to Send a Demand Letter in Illinois
We can’t emphasize enough that the most effective demand letters are sent by attorneys. This is because attorneys are the experts in drafting legal letters.
If you’ve been pursuing someone to make things right without success, your requests may be taken more seriously if they are presented in a signed demand letter printed on an attorney’s letterhead.
If you need an attorney to send a demand letter in Illinois, you’ve come to the right place. We can connect you to lawyers who will send professional, well-written demand letters at an affordable flat rate. Click on the link below to get started now.
