Letters

Information about how to write different types of letters for your legal matter.

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 a helpful tool to use when writing a letter, see Checklist - Writing letters.

Before sending a letter in a legal matter you should get legal advice.

Letters to courts 

You may need to write to a cou​rt (or tribunal) for a number of reasons, including to:

• ask for your case to be postponed (adjourned). Be careful as you can't ask for this by letter in​​ some types of cases or in some courts
• ask for your case to be heard at a different court, for example, a court closer to you. Be careful as you can't ask for this by letter in some types of cases or in some courts
• get a copy of a file or document
• file a document by post.

When you write a letter to a court, you should make sure the person reading it can understand what case you are referring to, and what you want.

For a helpful tool to use when writing a letter to a court, see Checklist - Writing letters.

All letters to court should include: ​

• ​your add​​ress and the court's address
• the names of the parties in the case, the court and the court case number
• what you are telling the court about, or asking for, and
• your signature and any relevant documents.

Sample: Sample letter to court

Your add​​ress and the court's address

When you write a letter to a court, your name and address should be at the top of the page, on the right hand side. Underneath that, on the left hand side, you should write the date and the name of the court and its address. Use a PO Box address if the court has one.

Always include the date you are signing/sending the letter. A date is important because:

• it can help you prove when you sent the letter, and
• a date can be used to identify the document. For example, if you call the court about your letter you can ask them if they have received your letter 'dated 10 January 2011'.

For example:

The names of the parties in the case, the court and the court case number

When you write a letter to a court about a case that has been started, you should include a heading. The heading should state the names of the parties, the court the case is in, and the case number. It is important to give this information to help court staff identify what your letter is referring to.

For example:

What you are telling the court about, or asking for

When you write to a court, you should clearly state what the letter is about. If you are:

• asking for your case to be postponed (adjourned), state the court date you want adjourned, why you need the adjournment, and what other time period (for example, after 10 January) you would be available. Be careful as you can't ask for this by letter in some types of cases or in some courts.
• asking for your case to be moved to a different court, the letter should explain why you need this and where you think the case should be moved. Be careful as you can't ask for this by letter in some types of cases or in some courts.
• trying to get a copy of a file or document, the letter should clearly set out what file or document you want access to, and why.
• filing documents by post, the letter should list each of the documents you are filing, list the number of copies (if any) of each document, and include a cheque for payment of the filing fee (if there is one).

If you expect a reply or confirmation of receipt of documents, you should say this in the letter and tell the court your preferred contact details.

For example:

Your signature and any relevant documents

When you have completed the letter, you can write “Yours faithfully”, leave two or three spaces, write your name and then sign in between “Yours faithfully” and your name.

If you are sending any documents, cheques or any other items, these are called ‘enclosures’. You should describe what you are enclosing in the text of your letter (as in the example above). You should also add the letters “encl” underneath your name. This reminds the person receiving the letter that you sent something with it.

For example:

Make sure you include a telephone number in a​ny letter you write so that the person you send the letter to can contact you if they need to. You could also include your email address, if you have one.

Make sure you keep a copy of the letter and a record of when you posted it. You could use registered post so that there is a record of when the person you sent the letter received it.

Letters to unrepresented parties

If you have a dispute with someone, and you want to speak to them or demand that they do something, you could write them a letter. If your case goes to court, you may need to use the letter as evidence.

This page is a guide to writing to a party that is representing themselves, just like you. If the person you are in dispute with is represented by a lawyer, you should not contact them directly. Instead, you should write to their lawyer.

For more information, see Letters to lawyers.

You may want to write to the unrepresented party because they owe you money, or you need to serve (formally give) some court documents by post.

For a helpful tool to use when writing a letter to an unrepresented party, see Checklist - Writing letters.

Whenever you write to other parties or their lawyers, you should make sure to only include things that you may want to rely on in court. If you want to offer to settle the matter, you can write the words 'Without Prejudice' on your letters. This means the letters sent by you usually can't be used as evidence in court. Before sending the letter, you should get legal advice.

Your letter should include:

• ​your add​​ress, the other party's address and the date
• heading​
• a reference to any relevant previous letters
• what you want to say to the unrepres​​ented party, and
• your signature and relevant documents.

Sample: Sample letter to unrepresented parties

Your add​​ress, the other party's address and the date

When you write a letter, your name and address should be at the top of the page, on the right hand side. Underneath that, on the left hand side, you should write the date, and the name and address of the person or business you are writing to.

Always include the date you are signing/sending the letter. A date is important because:

it can help you prove when you sent the letter

a date can be used to identify the document. For example, if you call the party about your letter you can ask them if they have received your letter 'dated 10 January 20XX'.

For example:

Heading​

Any letter you write should include a heading. The heading should state all the names of the parties, the court the case is in and the case number, (if the case is in court), or other details to identify the matter, (if a court case has not been started). For example:

• John Smith v Paula Brown. Parramatta Local Court, Case number 2011/000111222
• John Smith and Paula Brown, Payment for shop fitting work done at Paula's Hair Design, 12 April 20XX.

For example:​

A reference to any relevant previous letters

If there has been a previous letter from the person you are writing to and you are replying to that, you should say this in the next line.

For example:

​If you have written to the unrepresented party previously and received no reply, you could instead refer to your last letter.

What you want to say to the unrepres​​ented party

When you write a letter to someone you should clearly state what the letter is about. If you are:

• responding to a question, clearly state what question you are answering and what the answer is
• demanding payment, be clear why you think the money is owed, how much is owed, and when you expect it to be paid
• asking for information, make sure you clearly set out what you want
• serving documents, refer to them in the letter and enclose them with the letter.

For example:

Your signature and relevant documents

When you have completed the letter, you can write "Yours faithfully", leave two or three spaces, write your name and then sign in between "Yours faithfully" and your name.

If you are sending any documents, cheques or any other items, these are called 'enclosures'. You should describe what you are enclosing in the text of your letter (as in the example above). You should also add the letters "encl" underneath your name. This reminds the person receiving the letter that you sent something with it.

For example:

Letters to lawyers 

If you are involved in a legal dispute, you may need to write a letter to a lawyer representing the other party in the dispute. This page has some tips for writing letters to lawyers and law firms.

For a helpful tool to use when writing a letter to a lawyer, see Checklist - Writing letters.

Your letter should include:

• your address, the law firm's address and the date
• headings and references
• a reference to any relevant previous letters
• what your response is
• what you want the other side to do, and
• your signature and any relevant documents.

Sample: Sample: letter to lawyers

Whenever you write to other parties or their lawyers, you should make sure to only include things that you may want to rely on in court. If you want to offer to settle the matter, you can write the words 'Without Prejudice' on your letters. This means the letters sent by you usually can't be used as evidence in court. Before sending the letter, you should get legal advice.

Your address, the law firm's address and the date

When you write a letter to a law firm, your name and address should be at the top of the page, on the right hand side. Underneath that, on the left hand side, write the date, the name of the law firm, and its address. If you know the name of the lawyer who is running the case, you could put their name above the law firm's name.

Always include the date you are signing/sending the letter. A date is important because:

• it can help you prove when you sent the letter
• a date can be used to identify the document. For example, if you call the law firm about your letter you can ask them if they have received your letter 'dated 10 January 20XX'.

For example:

Headings and references

Most letters from law firms will include their own reference number and a heading that names the parties and describes the matter. A law firm's reference number helps them identify who their client is and which lawyer in their firm is handling the case. When you write to a lawyer you should also note their reference number and heading.

For example:

CO might be the initials of the lawyer who is handling the case. BAL12345 might be the first three letters of the client's surname plus the file number. This is just one of the ways that law firms write their reference numbers. When writing to a law firm it is helpful to include their reference number if you know it.

If you know the name of the lawyer handling the case, you could write their name above the name of the law firm.

A reference to any relevant previous letters

If you are replying to an earlier letter from the lawyer or law firm, you should say in the next line.

For example:

If you have written to the law firm previously and received no reply, you could instead refer to your last letter.

What your response is

If you are writing to a response to a letter from a lawyer, you will need to clearly tell the lawyer what your response is. You may want to:

• reject a claim that you were negligent in a car accident
• reject an offer of settlement
• make an offer of settlement
• ask for more information (further and better particulars)
• respond to a request for further and better particulars.

For example:

Whatever it is that you want, you should write directly and to the point. You don't want to confuse the lawyer by including irrelevant information. You also should make sure that your letter is polite and formal.

What you want the other side to do

Before you finish the letter, you should make sure that you tell the lawyer for the other party what you want. You may want them to:

• discontinue the case
• pay your costs (if any)
• give you more information
• give you more time to file a defence.

For example:

Your signature and any relevant documents

When you have completed the letter, you can write "Yours faithfully", leave two or three spaces, write your name and then sign in between "Yours faithfully" and your name.

If you are sending any documents, cheques or any other items, these are called 'enclosures'. You should describe what you are enclosing in the text of your letter (as in the example above). You should also add the letters "encl" underneath your name. This reminds the person receiving the letter that you sent something with it.

For example:

Make sure you include a telephone number in any letter you write so that the person you send the letter to can contact you if they need to. You could also include your email address, if you have one.

Make sure you keep a copy of the letter and a record of when you posted it. You could use registered post so that there is a record of when the law firm received it.

Letters to third parties 

You may need to write to a third party (someone not involved in your case) because you need some information or you need them to provide a service to you. For example, you might want to ask someone to give you copies of documents, serve them with (formally give them) a subpoena by post, or ask a process server (a person you hire to serve documents for you) to serve a court document.

For a helpful tool to use when writing a letter to a third party, see Checklist - Writing letters.

Your letter should include:

• ​your address, th​​e other party's address and the date
• heading
• what you want to say to the other party, and
• your signature and any relevant documents.

​Your address, th​​e other party's address and the date

When you write a letter, your name and address should be at the top of the page, on the right hand side. Underneath that, on the left hand side, you should write the date, and the name and address of the person or business you are writing to.

Always include the date you are signing/sending the letter. A date is important because:

• it can help you prove when you sent the letter
• a date can be used to identify the document. For example, if you call the third party about your letter you can ask them if they have received your letter 'dated 10 January 20XX'.

For example:

Heading

Any letter you write should include a heading. The heading should state all the parties' names, the court the case is in and the case number, (if the case is in court), or other details to identify the matter, if a court case has not been started. For example:

• John Smith v Paula Brown. Parramatta Local Court, Case number 2011/000111222
• John Smith and Paula Brown, Payment for shop fitting work done at Paula's Hair Design, 12 April 2011.

For example:

What you want to say to the other party

When you write a letter to someone, you should clearly state what the letter is about. If you are:

• serving documents, such as a subpoena, refer to them in the letter and enclose them with the letter
• asking a process server to serve court documents, include all known addresses and contact details of the person that needs to be served, and the documents that need to be served.

For example:

Your signature and any relevant documents

When you have completed the letter, you can write "Yours faithfully", leave two or three spaces, write your name and then sign in between "Yours faithfully" and your name.

If you are sending any documents, cheques or any other items, these are called 'enclosures'. You should describe what you are enclosing in the text of your letter (as in the example above). You should also add the letters "encl" underneath your name. This reminds the person receiving the letter that you sent something with it.

For example:

Make sure you include a telephone number in any letter you write so that the person you send the letter to can contact you if they need to. You could also include your email address, if you have one.

Make sure you keep a copy of the letter and a record of when you posted it. You could use registered post so that there is a record of when the person you sent the letter received it.​

Sample letter of offer 

This is an example of what a basic letter of offer could look like.

Sample: Sample letter of offer.

Last updated May 2026