Letters that state termination of a relationship or services are the toughest to write. If you need to inform your attorney or lawyer know that their services are no longer needed, it can be a daunting task. However, this still needs to be done and you will need some basic guidelines so that you will definitely do no harm when you terminate a business relationship. Read the tips listed below and see how you can apply this to your current situation. Remember that the best rule is to keep things polite and yet straight to the point.


Starting with the specific reason why you won’t need your attorney anymore. To be very clear with the intention of your letter, you must be very aware of the exact reason why you are terminating the services of your lawyer. Is it because the case will now be settled out of court? Are you dropping the charges? Are you getting another attorney due to budget limitations? You need to know what you will be saying as the reason so that your attorney will understand why the service is being terminated.


Double checking your contract information. Before you write that termination letter, take a second look at the contract that you have signed with your attorney. Are there any sections there that you will be violating if you terminate the contract now? Check if there are additional fees if you terminate the contract earlier than the specified time. Remember that whatever is on paper and signed is a legal document so make sure you are not stepping on toes or burning bridges as you proceed.
Drafting the letter – keeping things professional. When you do write that draft of the letter, make sure that your tone is very professional. If in case you are terminating the services due to some emotional or personal reasons, read and revise your draft so that there are no emotionally charged words used. Remember that anything tangible can be used in court so do not write down something that you cannot stand up for. Make sure that you are enumerating valid reasons why you are terminating the services – that you have found a new team, you will no longer need an attorney or due to personal differences, you cannot function efficiently as a team.
Taking a look at your supporting documents. Just in case your attorney says that the termination of the service is unlawful, attach a copy of the contracts you both signed to serve as a reminder of what was previously agreed upon.
Have someone else proofread your letter. No matter how many times you revised your draft, it is still good to have someone else read the letter and see if there are any loopholes, unprofessional remarks and the like. Make sure that you are asking a good friend to do the proofreading for you. Double check the dates, names of the concerned parties and the like.



Now that you have a draft, just type it carefully in your favorite word processor application. Check if the formatting is clean and professional and then print it on a clean piece of paper. Seal the envelope and address it properly. Send to your attorney.