A demand letter does two jobs: it sets out what you want and why you are entitled to it, and it creates a record that you asked before escalating. Most of the ones people write do the first badly and the second not at all.
This template gives you a structure that works for consumer disputes, deposit claims and straightforward contract matters, with annotations explaining why each section is there.
What is inside
- Heading block with the details that make it a formal record
- Statement of facts, dated and neutral in tone
- The obligation you say was breached
- The specific remedy sought, quantified
- A deadline and what happens if it passes
- Enclosures list
- Annotated notes on tone, length and what to leave out
How to use it
Keep it short and unemotional
Two pages beats six. Anger reads as weakness and gives the other side quotes to use.
Quantify precisely
“Compensation for my trouble” is unanswerable. A figure with a calculation behind it is not.
Send it in a way you can prove
Certified mail or email with a delivery record. The record is half the point.
Common questions
Should I send one before small claims?
Usually yes. Judges routinely ask whether you tried to resolve it, and a calm, specific letter that went unanswered is a strong opening.
Could a demand letter hurt my case?
It can, if it overstates facts, threatens something unlawful, or commits you to a figure you later want to move away from. When a matter is serious or contested, have an attorney send it.