Sample Lawyer Engagement Letter

Fully editable with standard terms and clauses. Send and e-sign it online.

Sample Lawyer Engagement Letter

Fully editable with standard terms and clauses. Send and e-sign it online.

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Lawyer Engagement Letter

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Lawyer Engagement Letter

Lawyer
First Name
Last Name
Acme LLC.
Client
First Name
Last Name
Corporation Corp.

Lawyer Letter of Engagement


We, the Company, are pleased to confirm our understanding of the services we are to provide for [ENTER CLIENT NAME] (“Client”). The services we intend to provide shall include: [ENTER SERVICES DESCRIPTION] (collectively the “Services”).

1. COMPANY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The objective of our engagement is to: [ENTER OBJECTIVE OF ENGAGEMENT/SERVICES].

We are not required to, and will not, verify the accuracy or completeness of the information you provide to us for the engagement or otherwise gather evidence for the purpose of expressing an opinion or a conclusion.

2. WORK PRODUCT OWNERSHIP:

[ENTER APPLICABLE TERMS FOR OWNERSHIP OF ANY WORK PRODUCT CREATED BY COMPANY IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICES].

3. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

[ENTER CLIENT DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES].

4. OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:

Client agrees to provide Company with requested information, documentation, and explanations of supporting data as needed on a timely basis. If Client fails to comply with this requirement or any of the terms of this engagement, as outlined herein, Company reserves the right to withdraw from this engagement without completing the objectives of the engagement.

5. FEE FOR SERVICES:

The Fee for the Services shall be as follows: [ENTER FEE TERMS FOR SERVICES] (the “Services Fee”). Client shall reimburse Company for all reasonable expenses incurred by Company in performing the Services pursuant to this Agreement, only if Company receives written consent from an authorized representative of Client prior to incurring such expenses.

You agree to hold us harmless and to release, indemnify, and defend us from any liability or costs, including attorney’s fees, resulting from Client’s knowing misrepresentations to us.

We appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you and believe this letter accurately summarizes the significant terms of our engagement. If you have any questions, please let us know. If you acknowledge and agree with the terms as described in this letter, please sign below and return it to us.

6. HOLD HARMLESS:

Client agrees to hold Company harmless against any and all claims for loss, liability, damages, judgments and/or civil charges arising out of or in connection with or arising out of the acts or negligent omissions of Client.

7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:

In no event shall Company’s aggregate liability to the Client for all claims, whether in contract or any other theory of liability, exceed the Services Fee provided herein.

8. TERM & TERMINATION:

The term of this Agreement will begin on the date this Letter of Engagement is signed and acknowledged by Client and shall continue until the earlier of (1) final completion of the Services or (2) termination as provided herein. Either party may terminate this Agreement upon giving the other Party [ENTER NUMBER OF DAYS] days’ prior written notice of such termination. Upon such termination, all rights and duties of the Client and Company toward each other shall cease, except Client will pay, within [ENTER NUMBER OF DAYS] days after the effective date of termination, all amounts owing to Company for Services completed by Company prior to the effective date of termination and for any expenses incurred by Company on behalf of Client in rendering the Services.

9. GOVERNING LAW:

This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted, construed and enforced in accordance with the laws applicable in [ENTER APPLICABLE COUNTY] County of the State of [ENTER APPLICABLE STATE], excluding conflicts of laws principles.

We appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you and believe this letter accurately summarizes the significant terms of our engagement. If you have any questions, please let us know. If you acknowledge and agree with the terms as described in this letter, please sign.


THE PARTIES HERETO AGREE TO THE FOREGOING AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR SIGNATURES BELOW.

Lawyer
First Name
Last Name
Acme LLC.
Client
First Name
Last Name
Corporation Corp.

Sample Lawyer Engagement Letter

Fully editable with standard terms and clauses. Send and e-sign it online.

Sample Lawyer Engagement Letter

Fully editable with standard terms and clauses. Send and e-sign it online.

Bonsai has helped create 1,023,928 documents and counting.

Trusted by 500,000+
business owners

Date: March 8th 2023


Between:

Coach:

First_name
Last_name
Acme LLC.
Client:

First_name
Last_name
Corporation Corp.

This Contract is between Client (the "Client") and Acme LLC, a California limited liability company (the "Coach").

The Contract is dated January 23, 2023.

1. WORK AND PAYMENT.

1.1 Project. The Client is hiring the Coach to develop a coaching relationship between the Client and Coach in order to cultivate the Client's personal, professional, or business goals and create a plan to achieve those goals through stimulating and creative interactions with the ultimate result of maximizing the Client's personal or professional potential.

1.2 Schedule. The Coach will begin work on February 1, 2023 and will continue until the work is completed. This Contract can be ended by either Client or Coach at any time, pursuant to the terms of Section 4, Term and Termination.

The Coach and Client will meet by video conference, 4 days per month for 2 hours.

1.3 Payment. The Client will pay the Coach an hourly rate of $150. Of this, the Client will pay the Coach $500.00 (USD) before work begins.

1.4 Expenses. The Client will reimburse the Coach's expenses. Expenses do not need to be pre-approved by the Client.

1.5 Invoices. The Coach will invoice the Client in accordance with the milestones in Section 1.3. The Client agrees to pay the amount owed within 15 days of receiving the invoice. Payment after that date will incur a late fee of 1.0% per month on the outstanding amount.

1.6 Support. The Coach will not be available by telephone, or email in between scheduled sessions.

2.DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

- A coaching relationship is a partnership between two or more individuals or entities, like a teacher-student or coach-athlete relationship. Both the Client and Coach must uphold their obligations for the relationship to be successful.

- The Coach agrees to maintain the ethics and standards of behavior established by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

- The Client acknowledges and agrees that coaching is a comprehensive process that may explore different areas of the Client's life, including work, finances, health, and relationships.

- The Client is responsible for implementing the insights and techniques learned from the Coach.

3. REPRESENTATIONS.

3.1 Overview. This section contains important promises between the parties.

3.2 Authority To Sign. Each party promises to the other party that it has the authority to enter into this Contract and to perform all of its obligations under this Contract.

3.3 Coach Has Right To Give Client Work Product. The Coach promises that it owns the work product, that the Coach is able to give the work product to the Client, and that no other party will claim that it owns the work product. If the Coach uses employees or subcontractors, the Coach also promises that these employees and subcontractors have signed contracts with the Coach giving the Coach any rights that the employees or subcontractors have related to the Coach's background IP and work product.

3.4 Coach Will Comply With Laws. The Coach promises that the manner it does this job, its work product, and any background IP it uses comply with applicable U.S. and foreign laws and regulations.

3.5 Work Product Does Not Infringe. The Coach promises that its work product does not and will not infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights, that the Coach has the right to let the Client use the background IP, and that this Contract does not and will not violate any contract that the Coach has entered into or will enter into with someone else.

3.7 Client-Supplied Material Does Not Infringe. If the Client provides the Coach with material to incorporate into the work product, the Client promises that this material does not infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights.

4. TERM AND TERMINATION

This Contract is ongoing until it expires or the work is completed. Either party may end this Contract for any reason by sending an email or letter to the other party, informing the recipient that the sender is ending the Contract and that the Contract will end in 7 days. The Contract officially ends once that time has passed. The party that is ending the Contract must provide notice by taking the steps explained in Section 9.4. The Coach must immediately stop working as soon as it receives this notice unless the notice says otherwise.

If either party ends this Contract before the Contract automatically ends, the Client will pay the Contractor for the work done up until when the Contract ends. The following sections don't end even after the Contract ends: 3 (Representations); 6 (Confidential Information); 7 (Limitation of Liability); 8 (Indemnity); and 9 (General).

3. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR.

The Client is hiring the Coach as an independent contractor. The following statements accurately reflect their relationship:

- The Coach will use its own equipment, tools, and material to do the work.

- The Client will not control how the job is performed on a day-to-day basis. Rather, the Coach is responsible for determining when, where, and how it will carry out the work.

- The Client will not provide the Coach with any training.

- The Client and the Coach do not have a partnership or employer-employee relationship.

- The Coach cannot enter into contracts, make promises, or act on behalf of the Client.

- The Coach is not entitled to the Client's benefits (e.g., group insurance, retirement benefits, retirement plans, vacation days).

- The Coach is responsible for its own taxes.

- The Client will not withhold social security and Medicare taxes or make payments for disability insurance, unemployment insurance, or workers compensation for the Coach or any of the Coach's employees or subcontractors.

6. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

6.1 Overview. This Contract imposes special restrictions on how the Client and the Coach must handle confidential information. These obligations are explained in this section.

6.2 The Client's Confidential Information. While working for the Client, the Coach may come across, or be given, Client information that is confidential. This is information like customer lists, business strategies, research & development notes, statistics about a website, and other information that is private. The Coach promises to treat this information as if it is the Coach's own confidential information. The Coach may use this information to do its job under this Contract, but not for anything else. For example, if the Client lets the Coach use a customer list to send out a newsletter, the Coach cannot use those email addresses for any other purpose. The one exception to this is if the Client gives the Coach written permission to use the information for another purpose, the Coach may use the information for that purpose, as well. When this Contract ends, the Coach must give back or destroy all confidential information, and confirm that it has done so. The Coach promises that it will not share confidential information with a third party, unless the Client gives the Coach written permission first. The Coach must continue to follow these obligations, even after the Contract ends. The Coach's responsibilities only stop if the Coach can show any of the following: (i) that the information was already public when the Coach came across it; (ii) the information became public after the Coach came across it, but not because of anything the Coach did or didn't do; (iii) the Coach already knew the information when the Coach came across it and the Coach didn't have any obligation to keep it secret; (iv) a third party provided the Coach with the information without requiring that the Coach keep it a secret; or (v) the Coach created the information on its own, without using anything belonging to the Client.

6.3 Third-Party Confidential Information. It's possible the Client and the Coach each have access to confidential information that belongs to third parties. The Client and the Coach each promise that it will not share with the other party confidential information that belongs to third parties, unless it is allowed to do so. If the Client or the Coach is allowed to share confidential information with the other party and does so, the sharing party promises to tell the other party in writing of any special restrictions regarding that information.

7. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.

Neither party is liable for breach-of-contract damages that the breaching party could not reasonably have foreseen when it entered this Contract.

8. INDEMNITY.

8.1 Overview. This section transfers certain risks between the parties if a third party sues or goes after the Client or the Coach or both. For example, if the Client gets sued for something that the Coach did, then the Coach may promise to come to the Client's defense or to reimburse the Client for any losses.

8.2 Client Indemnity. In this Contract, the Coach agrees to indemnify the Client (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against all liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) related to a third-party claim or proceeding arising out of: (i) the work the Coach has done under this Contract; (ii) a breach by the Coach of its obligations under this Contract; or (iii) a breach by the Coach of the promises it is making in Section 3 (Representations).

8.3 Coach Indemnity. In this Contract, the Client agrees to indemnify the Coach (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) related to a third-party claim or proceeding arising out of a breach by the Client of its obligations under this Contract.

9. GENERAL.

9.1 Assignment​. This Contract applies only to the Client and the Coach. Neither the Client nor the Coach can assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Contract to a third-party (other than by will or intestate), without first receiving the other's written permission.

9.2 Arbitration. As the exclusive means of initiating adversarial proceedings to resolve any dispute arising under this Contract, a party may demand that the dispute be resolved by arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its commercial arbitration rules.

9.3 Modification; Waiver. To change anything in this Contract, the Client and the Coach must agree to that change in writing and sign a document showing their contract. Neither party can waive its rights under this Contract or release the other party from its obligations under this Contract, unless the waiving party acknowledges it is doing so in writing and signs a document that says so.

9.4. Noticies.

(a) Over the course of this Contract, one party may need to send a notice to the other party. For the notice to be valid, it must be in writing and delivered in one of the following ways: personal delivery, email, or certified or registered mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested). The notice must be delivered to the party's address listed at the end of this Contract or to another address that the party has provided in writing as an appropriate address to receive notice.

(b) The timing of when a notice is received can be very important. To avoid confusion, a valid notice is considered received as follows: (i) if delivered personally, it is considered received immediately; (ii) if delivered by email, it is considered received upon acknowledgement of receipt; (iii) if delivered by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), it is considered received upon receipt as indicated by the date on the signed receipt. If a party refuses to accept notice or if notice cannot be delivered because of a change in address for which no notice was given, then it is considered received when the notice is rejected or unable to be delivered. If the notice is received after 5:00pm on a business day at the location specified in the address for that party, or on a day that is not a business day, then the notice is considered received at 9:00am on the next business day.

9.5 Severability. This section deals with what happens if a portion of the Contract is found to be unenforceable. If that's the case, the unenforceable portion will be changed to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, unless that change is not permitted by law, in which case the portion will be disregarded. If any portion of the Contract is changed or disregarded because it is unenforceable, the rest of the Contract is still enforceable.

9.6 Signatures. The Client and the Coach must sign this document using Bonsai's e-signing system. These electronic signatures count as originals for all purposes.

9.7 Governing Law. The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this document shall be governed by the laws of the United States of America.

9.8 Entire Contract. This Contract represents the parties' final and complete understanding of this job and the subject matter discussed in this Contract. This Contract supersedes all other contracts (both written and oral) between the parties.

THE PARTIES HERETO AGREE TO THE FOREGOING AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR SIGNATURES BELOW.

Coach

First_name
Last_name
Acme LLC.
Client

First_name
Last_name
Corporation Corp.
Table of contents

A lawyer letter engagement is an officially recognized document that defines the conditions and terms of a business project between two partners. When onboarding a new client, businesses face a slew of questions, including the scope of the project, deadline, payment schedules, and services provided. 

To answer these questions and to navigate potential legal challenges, businesses often work with a lawyer to create an official engagement letter. A lawyer engagement letter is a legally binding document that clearly defines expectations, the scope of work, and the costs. 

Having a lawyer engagement letter is crucial for defining project terms, mitigating risks, and protecting the business and client from legal headaches. While engagement letters are less formal than a contract, they still serve as valid evidence for insurance or court cases if problems arise between the two parties.

Understanding the Purpose of a Lawyer Letter of Engagement

When you agree to the terms of a deal with another party, a vocal agreement or handshake will often not hold up in a court of law. Therefore, to ensure both parties have agreed to clear terms for a deal, businesses will create a letter of engagement or a contract.

The purpose of a lawyer's letter of engagement is to formalize an agreement between a business and a client. The client can be an individual or another business. Not only will an engagement letter specify what services the business will provide, but it will also state what the client is responsible for.

Lawyer engagement letters are beneficial to both the client and the business. For the business, it defines a clear objective and limits scope creep, preventing the business from overcommitting resources to a single project. When it comes to the benefits for the client, those that sign a lawyer's letter of engagement have peace of mind knowing the business has agreed to deliver the work according to your budget and service requirements.

Letters of engagement can be formatted for use in numerous professional services, such as consulting, marketing, legal, and accounting. It is strongly advised to work with a lawyer or legal software when creating an engagement letter, as the content, terms, and responsibilities greatly vary by industry.

What to Include in a Lawyer Letter of Engagement

As we mentioned earlier, a lawyer engagement letter can formalize agreements between two parties in various fields. While each engagement letter may contain different wording and information, some key elements should be present in any letter of engagement, including:

  • Legal Identification of Signees
  • Start and End Dates
  • The Responsibilities of Each Party
  • Detailed Information Outlining the Scope Of Work
  • Billing Schedule
  • Payment Amount and Attorney Retainer Fee
  • Confidentiality Agreement
  • Termination of Contract
  • Specific Conditions

To create an effective engagement letter, most of these elements must be clearly defined and agreed upon with the client. 

Crafting a Comprehensive Lawyer Letter of Engagement

Now that we know some of the most crucial elements to include in a lawyer letter of engagement, we can start to discuss how to craft a comprehensive engagement letter. For many businesses, it can be helpful to start their process by looking at templates online, such as those from Bonsai

While we do not suggest that you use the exact template letter, these resources are helpful for getting the process started. If you want some further information regarding lawyer letter of engagement formatting, here is the general structure to follow:

  1. Section One - Personal Information: The first section of a lawyer’s letter of engagement should outline the personal information for each party (names, emails, location)
  2. Section Two - Scope of Work: The second section of an engagement letter will outline the specifics of the services required. Businesses should add specific detail to this section to avoid scope creep and unwanted liability.
  3. Section Three - Payment: When creating an engagement letter, you will also need to outline the payment structure. This includes the total cost, hourly cost, retainer, and any other expected fees.
  4. Section Four - Specific Conditions: In this area, you want to outline elements related to termination, special requirements, data security, and confidentiality. 
  5. Section Five - Signature Fields: Last but certainly not least is the signature field. At the end of the engagement letter, both parties must sign the document for it to be legally binding.

Below is an example of the formatting of a sample engagement letter.

These are the most simplistic elements of a lawyer’s letter of engagement, and depending on the scope of the project, an engagement letter will typically get much more complex and detailed than this. 

Unfortunately, most businesses do not have the knowledge needed to create an engagement letter or adapt online templates to meet the requirements of their specific agreement.

That is why it is crucial to work with a lawyer when formulating a letter of engagement, or rely on pre-built legally vetted solutions. A lawyer will ensure the engagement letter accurately outlines the duties of each party. With the help of a lawyer's letter of engagement, the terms of the project are clearly defined and official.

Key Considerations for a Successful Lawyer-Client Relationship

One of the areas where engagement letters are most common is the legal field. Lawyer engagement letters are crucial for law firms and are the backbone of most lawyer-client relationships. With that said, there is more to fostering a healthy relationship between a lawyer and a client than simply signing a letter of engagement.

When working with a lawyer, there are a few considerations you should be mindful of to ensure you are developing a mutually beneficial relationship, including:

Effective Communication

The backbone of any healthy relationship, be it work or personal, is effective communication. Whether you are part of the legal team or you are the client, it is crucial to communicate any current questions or progress updates. The longer each party goes without hearing from the other, the more tension and anxiety build up.

Consistent Transparency

A good attorney-client relationship also requires ongoing transparency. Both clients and lawyers must be forthright with each other about their circumstances and any potential roadblocks to success. Throughout the relationship, each party must cooperate to reach the desired results to minimize the risk of legal issues.

Clearly Defined Expectations

Nothing can sour a relationship faster than unmet expectations, and this is what makes an engagement letter such a crucial aspect of doing business. When entering into a client-lawyer relationship, the client must clearly outline what services they require, and the lawyer must state the services they will provide, including a timeline for the work.

Maintaining Confidentiality

For both parties, beginning a lawyer-client relationship is exciting. The security of each party, however, and the specifics of the engagement letter must be kept a secret. Lawyers are obligated to keep their client's information discreet and private throughout the partnership. Clients must also be aware of their duties to maintain privacy and confidentiality.

Always Be Professional

Finally, just like any other professional relationship, it is helpful to cultivate a respectful and professional relationship between both parties. For clients, this means truthfully providing all relevant information. For lawyers, professionalism means that they must always protect their client's best interests and provide accurate legal advice. 

Why is a Letter of Engagement for Attorneys Important?

  1. When you are working with a new client or anew business, a lawyer engagement letter is in both parties best interest. Engagement letters can be written and legalized much quicker than contracts, making them the ideal choice for clients or businesses looking to start a project as soon as possible.
  1. The challenge that businesses face on a global level is creating an all-encompassing letter of engagement. Even with all of the information online, it is difficult to fully understand what to include in a legal engagement letter. However, a letter of engagement template can prevent scope creep and ensure that the agreement is time bound, and well-documented to provide maximum protection.
  1. The letter of engagement helps you protect your profits by ensure you are only agreeing to a limited set of services. It is more comprehensive than a traditional scope of work contract

Thankfully, the process of creating a lawyer letter of engagement can be made simple with the help of Bonsai.  Bonsai has leveraged its experience to develop helpful software for businesses. Simply sign-up for a free trial and get unlimited access to their entire collection of engagement letter templates. With the help of Bonsai’s templates and software, you can streamline the process and ensure your lawyer's letter of engagement clearly outlines the details of a project.

Formalizing a new work relationship does not have to be an overly complex legal matter. To simplify the process, use this guide as an overview, download a relevant  Bonsai template, and work with a legal professional to finalize the specific details. 

Start the process of creating a lawyer engagement letter today by visiting our templates page. With numerous templates in every niche, you can quickly start creating a lawyer letter of engagement to use when formalizing your next deal.

Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about this template.

What is a lawyer engagement letter?

Simply put, a lawyer engagement letter helps set the stage at the beginning of any attorney/client relationship. It is an agreement of what will be done and on what terms.

Can I create my on letter of engagement?

Yes, It is possible to write your own letter of engagement as an attorney. However, given the time, cost, and comprehensive details needed to do so, we'd highly recommend leveraging a legally-vetted solution to streamline the process.