Checklist: Writing letters
You can print this checklist as it may help you when you need to write a letter.
This checklist relates specifically to letters. For tips on writing skills and things to think about when writing any type of legal document, see
Checklist: Writing. If you need more help writing your letter, call
LawAccess NSW.
 | Your address | Write your postal address at the top, right hand side of the page. |
| The date | Write the date underneath your address, but on the left. Put the date you signed the letter. |
| The recipient's address | Write the postal address of the person you are sending the letter to on the left hand side of the page, underneath the date. If you are writing the letter to a law firm, a court, or a company, and you want to direct the letter to a particular person, put their name first. |
| A heading | Put a heading after the recipient's address, in bold text. A heading can include: - the names of the parties
- reference numbers
- court details and case numbers
- a very brief description of the legal issue (for example, "Car accident on 21 May 2010" or "Breach of contract").
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| Previous correspondence or documents | If your letter is a response to: - a letter
- a court document
- some other document,
you can refer to that document, by its date, in the first line of the letter. For example: - "I refer to your letter dated 20 May 2011"
- "I refer to the Statement of Claim served on me on 12 August 2011".
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| What do you want to say? | If you are: - responding to a demand, or offer of settlement, you would put your response in this paragraph.
- asking for something to be done, you would write what you want to be done.
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| Time limits | If you are expecting something to be done, you may want to ask that it be done within a certain time. For example, if you have made an offer of settlement, you might ask that it be accepted by a certain date. |
| Your signature | When finishing a letter, you can sign off by writing: - "Yours sincerely"
- your signature
- your name (printed).
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| Enclosures | If you are sending any documents with the letter, make sure that: - you describe what you are enclosing in the text of your letter
- after your printed name at the bottom of the letter, below your signature, you put the letters "encl"
- the documents are attached to the letter and are sent with it.
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| Keep a copy | Make sure you keep a copy of any letter you write and send. You may need to refer to your letter when you read any response sent to you, or when you write your next legal document. |
For more information and some examples of legal letters, see: