How to Send a Certified Letter

When you are handling your own legal matters, you may find that many forms correspondence and pleadings should be - or often, required to be - sent via Certified Mail. In legal matters, there may be arguments over something as silly as whether or not a document was sent and received, and this can have quite an impact on the final decision. To alleviate this issue, certified letters are sent this way not only to ensure the recipient actually receives it, but to give the sender physical evidence that he or she did, in fact, write and send the letter. If you are handling your own case, or just want to make sure the recipient gets their letter, then read on to learn how to send a certified letter:

Instructions

1. Draft, Print, Sign, and Copy

   After you have written and printed out your letter, you should make at least two copies. In the legal field, it is a very common practice to send letters both via Certified and regular mail. This is done not only as a courtesy to the recipient, but as extra insurance for the sender that the letter was actually received.

   Sign both copies that are going to be sent out so that your actual - not copied - signature is on both letters. You should also make a third copy of the signed letter for your own records, so that you can produce the letter yourself in court if you need to. Retain the copy for yourself, and place both letters with your original signature in two separate envelopes. Address both envelopes to the intended recipient, and be sure to include a return name and address in the top, left-hand corner.

   Of course, if you are not sending a certified letter for legal reasons, an extra copy is probably not necessary, and you do not need to send a second letter by regular mail.

2. Head to Your Local Post Office

   The easiest and most secure way to send a certified letter is to go directly to your post office. Let them know that you would like to send a certified letter with a return receipt, and ask for a Certified Mail card. This is a green-colored card that needs to be filled out completely and attached to the front of the envelope.

3. Fill Out the Certified Letter Card

   On the green card, you will need to again fill in the name and address for the intended recipient. You will also need to fill in your first and last name, and your mailing address. This is so the post office can send you the card proving it was signed and received by the recipient. There will be two boxes to check off that states"return receipt requested," and "signature required for delivery." Be sure to check off both boxes if you are sending the letter for a legal matter; "return receipt" means the card will be sent back to you with a signature to prove the letter was successfully delivered. "Signature required" means the letter cannot be delivered unless the recipient signs for it - which is necessary to prove that the person not only received the letter, but physically signed for the certified letter themselves. These options will cost a little extra, but the entire certified letter should cost you under $5, a small price to pay for the evidence it will become.

   Attach the card to the certified letter envelope by removing the two protective strips on the adhesive and placing the card on the front of the envelope. Don't worry if it covers the address, as the address is also printed on the card. Then, rip off the tracking information by tearing across the perforated lines. If you are unsure of how to attach the card or do not feel comfortable doing it yourself, simply give the card and the certified letter to a postal worker and they will be happy to do it for you.

4. Send the Letters and Get Your Tracking Information

   After you have completed the Certified Mail card, give both letters to the postal worker. Remember, the letter being sent by regular mail will need a regular stamp to be sent. The certified letter will then be entered into the system, and the tracking information on your slip you ripped off the card will now be active. You can track the certified letter by phone using the USPS's customer service line, or track it online by visiting their website and entering the tracking number. The tracking information will tell you where the letter is and will update when the certified letter has been received so you know when it arrived. You can print this information when the certified letter has been delivered as extra proof, in addition to the return card, that the letter was received and signed for.

Tips & Warnings

• If, for some reason, the recipient tries to refuse the certified letter, this will be noted on both the tracking information and on the card that is returned to you. If after multiple attempts, the recipient continues to refuse the certified letter, these refusals (proven by the return cards and the tracking information you can print online) will serve and sufficient evidence in court that you attempted to send the letter multiple times and the opposing party refused to accept it. The fact that the letter was not accept will not be held against you in court if you provide this evidence, and can be used against the opposing party.

• The above article is not legal advice. If you are seeking legal advice, please consult your attorney. There is no attorney-client relationship between you and Regal Legal.