How to Write and Send an Attorney Closing Letter (Example Included)

When a legal matter is concluded, you could just send a final bill and leave it at that—but, at best, that might rub your former clients the wrong way and, at worst, open you up to the risk of unintentional malpractice. 

Instead, consider sending an attorney closing letter to formally end the attorney-client relationship and leave a positive impression of your legal business. 

A well-crafted attorney closing letter is also an important part of providing exceptional client service. Long story short, if you aren’t in the habit of writing a case closure letter, the time to start is now.

In this article, we’ll cover everything there is to know about writing closing letters to clients, including what they are, how to write them, and best practices. We also have a sample closing letter for reference.

What Is an Attorney Closing Letter? 

An attorney closing letter (or an end of representation letter, client closing letter, or case closure letter, etc.) is a formal written document that signals the end of representation on a particular legal matter. 

While a closing letter to clients might mark the end of one chapter, it’s not necessarily the end of your business relationship overall. In fact, a well-crafted law firm closing letter could help solidify your professional reputation and lead to more work in the future, whether from a particular client or a reference from them.

Why Is It Important to Send Closing Letters to Clients?

Knowing when a matter has ended may seem like common sense, but clients are often unfamiliar with standard legal practices. 

Beyond simply ending a case on a positive note, a formal end of representation letter serves a few important roles:

• Clear documentation of a case’s conclusion: A written letter provides a tangible document that shows a clear endpoint to your work on a case and a summary of the work performed.

• Enhances the client experience: Even though it’s at the end, a closing letter is another aspect of strong client management skills and helps make every client feel valued.

• Avoids miscommunication: An attorney closing letter avoids potential malpractice claims that arise from a failure to communicate or a misunderstanding about the current state of the attorney-client relationship.

• Leads to positive reviews and referrals: A professional and positive attorney letter is an excellent chance to solicit reviews, get referrals, or set up future work from that client.

Ultimately, a law firm closing letter should be crafted with the same care and consideration you show during client intake. 

5 Best Practices for Sending Law Firm Closing Letters

Attracting new clients and managing your caseload is key to building a healthy legal business, but neglecting to put care into the end of your client relationships can be disastrous for your reputation. 

Follow these best practices to ensure that your case closure letter is concise and effective and keeps your firm in the good graces of clients.

1. Write Clearly and Succinctly

Using overly complicated legal jargon can lead to misunderstanding and frustration for your client. When writing a closing letter, keep it short and easy-to-understand. 

Aim to keep your end of representation letter to one page or less, and be sure to include the following:

1. An introduction of who you are and a statement that the legal engagement is concluded

2. A brief summary of the legal work performed, along with any next steps

3. Outline what documents you’ll be keeping, for how long, and where 

4. Show your appreciation for the work and their business

You may also include sections for clients to acknowledge any receipt of documents or anything else that’s needed for that particular matter.

2. Send Closing Letters Promptly

Don’t wait to send off a closing letter—send them as soon as your representation has ended. If you wait too long to send a closing letter, the client may still think that you are representing them. Remember, you should send a closing letter after a case or matter has been closed or for any reason, such as the closing of your practice.

Ensure your attorney letters are timely by including them as part of your firm’s legal workflows to close out a case. Many modern case management solutions, such as MyCase, can prompt attorneys to send out a letter automatically.

When you send out the letter, you can also use secure client text messaging to send an accompanying message, ensuring that they see it.

3. Streamline Closing Letters With Automation

On a given day, lawyers have a lot on their plate, and it’s easy for a relatively small task like closing letter writing to get put on the back burner. However, as we’ve mentioned, doing so opens you up to malpractice and reputational risk. 

Below are a few automation and templating features that can help streamline the process: 

• Create letter templates: Create templates to help structure your letters and fill in certain information (e.g., dates, client contact information, case number, etc.) automatically. 

• Set alerts and reminders: Ensure you send closing letters promptly by setting up automated reminders at the end of a case. 

• Include links to relevant documents: Include links and/or instructions on how to access documents or other information (e.g., through a client portal).

• Gather signatures (if needed): If a client needs to acknowledge the receiving of documents or other assets, include spaces for eSignature directly on the letter. 

• Send links to final payment: Make it easy for clients to pay their final invoice with a link to a secure payment portal. 

• Include your signature and contact info: Populate the relevant signature from a lead attorney along with contact information automatically. 

By automating the drafting of your closing letters, you can reduce time spent on repetitive admin and focus on more strategic tasks.

4. Personalize Your Closing Statements

While certain aspects of your law firm closing letters won’t change, that doesn’t mean you should be sending the same messages to every client.

In many cases, the end of a closing letter to clients is a great place to include a call to action—asking for reviews, referrals, or even future business. These are important to include, as reviews and word of mouth are key to building a successful independent law firm. You might also use this space to inform satisfied clients about additional services you offer, keeping your firm top of mind for their future legal needs.

However, not every case concludes on a high note. Some matters may not resolve as expected, or even successful outcomes might involve challenges along the way. In such instances, a generic closing statement or a request for more business could feel impersonal and out of touch.

Instead, take a moment to acknowledge the client’s experience with empathy and professionalism. Recognize their experience, express understanding, and ensure your closing remarks provide a sense of resolution. A well-crafted attorney closing letter isn’t just a formality—it’s your final opportunity to leave a thoughtful and lasting impression.

How to Write a Case Closure Letter 

If you’re new to writing an attorney closing letter or need a refresher on best practices, we’re here to help. Start by keeping the purpose of the letter in mind—it should provide both formal and emotional closure while leaving a positive final impression.

While templates can streamline the writing process, a case closure letter should be tailored specifically to each client’s unique experience. That said, there is some basic information that should be included when crafting a closure letter, such as:

• Case specifics and number: Briefly summarize the legal work you did, stating clearly which case you are referring to, particularly if there are multiple cases or matters with this same client. Be sure to include any relevant case numbers.  

• The status of the case and any case documents: Let the client know the status of the case or matter, including any required information on retaining case documents. For example, if your firm’s retention policy is to keep case files for 10 years, let the client know that. Or if you are returning any original client documents with the law firm closing letter, including when they should expect to receive them or how to access them. 

• The date: Date the letter—include when the case concluded and when the client’s legal representation ended. 

• Reason for representation ending: It’s also important to include information on why the client’s legal representation is coming to an end. This may be due to the closure of the case or any organizational change (relevant to their matter), such as the closure of your practice or a new representing attorney. 

• Next steps: List any remaining action items that the client needs to take care of, such as paying the final bill. 

• Gratitude: Thank the client for choosing you to represent them, and let them know that you would be happy to represent them again—should they require legal assistance in the future. 

• Asking for feedback: Ask your client for feedback either with a questionnaire or by leaving your law firm an online review. Hearing feedback from clients can help you adjust and optimize your client experience. Additionally, positive online reviews can help you land more clients in the future.

Finally, once you’ve written the letter, review it for clarity and accuracy. Then, review it again. It’s important that all the information is not only accurate but also conveys the right tone to clients.

Example of a Closing Letter

To make the process of writing a closure letter even easier, here is a sample closing letter to clients that you can use.

Date

Re: Closing of Legal Representation, {{case #}}

Dear {{client}},

Thank you for the opportunity to represent you in {{brief description of case/matter}}.

As of {{date}}, your case {{case #}} has closed and your legal representation has ended. You can expect your final bill from us by {{date}}.

Enclosed in this letter you will find:

• (List enclosed documents such as every relevant document, copies of final documents, original legal documents created or received from the client)

• Feedback questionnaire (if using a paper version, be sure to provide instructions on how to complete and return it)

Please review this information and let us know if you have any questions. {{Firm name}} will retain a copy of these documents for at least five years, per our retention policy.

While this concludes our legal representation of you, please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further legal assistance or wish to retain our services again.

It was a pleasure representing you and I hope you enjoyed working together. Please consider filling out and returning the enclosed feedback questionnaire so that I may better represent clients like you in the future. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

All the best,

{{Lawyer}}

{{Firm name and contact information}}

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