A letter to an attorney should be written in a formal letter format with the attorney's name, law firm and address at the top near the date, addressed using a salutation and signed off with a closing such as "Very Truly Yours" or "Sincerely."
A lawyer letter is exactly what it sounds like – a letter from a lawyer indicating the lawyer represents one of your former (or potentially current) employees who is asserting certain claims against the company.
It's always best to have an attorney respond, on your behalf, to a “lawyer letter,” or a phone call from a lawyer. If that's not an option for you, though, make sure that you send a typed, written response to the attorney (by e-mail or mail), and keep a copy for yourself.
Commonly used by businesses, demand letters are often sent to demand money owed or restitution, but they can also be used to demand specific actions. Having your attorney draft a demand letter can be a wise move because it gives the recipient a chance to rectify the situation without facing a lawsuit.
The existence of any situation that could be a potential loss to a company that has come about through litigation. The exact time period when the matter that caused the litigation occurred. The likelihood of an outcome that would be negative to the company. An estimate of the potential loss.
The fact that you ignored the demand letter will be used against you in court. The demand letter will likely end up as an exhibit to the court and jury in any subsequent litigation, and your response to the demand will be judged accordingly.
If you do not respond by the deadline set by the other party, nothing will happen automatically. Rather, the other party will need to decide whether they want to proceed with suing you. If they choose to sue you, their lawyer will need to file a statement of claim in the relevant court and then serve the claim on you.
The Letter of Demand itself is not a legally enforceable court document. However, if you ignore the Letter of Demand, its sender may take legal action against you. Additionally, if you repeatedly ignore Letters of Demand, the sender could rely on this in proceedings to your detriment.