A demand letter can often provide the result you desire without going to court. Gathering written documentation is essential to organizing that demand letter. Your documentation will not only help you organize the letter, it will also be your proof of the facts. Here are steps to help you organize a demand letter.
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Difficulty:
Moderate
Instructions
1
Recall the various things that occurred and gather documentation relating to each event. For instance, if you were in a car accident, you may need to supply the recipient of your letter with information about the vehicle's damage, cost of repair, total hospital bills, police reports and proof of lost wages due to time missed from work.
2
Sort everything into a logical order. There are a multitude of situations for which you might want to write a demand letter, so it's possible to have very little documentation--or tons of it. If you have a lot of information, you might want to sort things into categories and then a chronological order within the categories. Do whatever works for you and is simple to understand.
3
Summarize the information after you sort it. On a separate piece of paper or the computer, list the titles of each document, dates, dollar amounts, if any, and maybe a brief description. Summarize it in such a way that you will be able to quickly retrieve facts and present them clearly if necessary. Even though there are no specific rules as to how long the letter should be, it's best to keep it short, and this is where a summary will help you.
4
Write your opening paragraph. The summary should help you determine exactly why you're writing the letter, and how much or what to demand. State it clearly and get right to the point. Also, remember that anything you write could wind up before a judge, so be professional and courteous.
5
Make a numbered list, if necessary. If you have a group of related items in your documentation, such as dollar amounts for various services or charges, you might want to organize it into a numbered list in the letter. Your summary should contain this information, so refer to it.
6
Close the demand letter with one simple paragraph that states what will happen if the problem is not resolved, and provide a timeframe in which you expect to hear from them before taking action.
7
Send the letter by certified mail so that you will have proof that they received it. Retain the return receipt from the certified mail when it comes back.
Tips & Warnings
If you enclose copies of anything, do not send originals and make sure to mark out personal information like social security number, account numbers and credit card numbers, just to name a few.
Do not use foul language or belittle the recipient in any way.
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