Generate pre-litigation demand letters
AI writes complete demand letters from your facts and damages. Get professional demands ready to send before filing suit.
Generate pre-litigation demand letters
River's Demand Letter Generator creates complete pre-litigation demand letters for settlement negotiations. You provide the facts, legal basis, damages, and deadline. The AI writes a professional demand letter with factual background, legal analysis, damages calculation, settlement demand, and litigation warning. Within minutes, you have a persuasive demand ready for attorney review. Perfect for litigation attorneys who need to send demands before filing suit.
Unlike basic templates, we generate customized demands based on your specific facts and claim type. The AI structures the letter to maximize settlement leverage while maintaining professional tone. You get demands that establish the factual record, articulate legal theories, quantify damages clearly, and create urgency through realistic litigation threats. Each letter balances firmness with professionalism, making clear your client will litigate if necessary while leaving room for negotiation.
This tool is perfect for litigators handling pre-suit demands, solo practitioners managing settlement negotiations, and firms that need consistent, professional demand letters. Use it when attempting to resolve disputes before litigation costs accumulate. Use it to establish your seriousness and legal position. Great for creating leverage in settlement discussions while giving opposing party a chance to resolve without court involvement. The AI generates foundation documents attorneys can customize and send.
What Makes Demand Letters Effective
Effective demand letters serve multiple purposes. They establish the factual record, articulate your legal position, quantify damages precisely, demonstrate you're prepared to litigate, and provide opposing party a face-saving way to settle. Weak demands either threaten too much (crying wolf) or too little (appearing weak). Strong demands are factual, professional, and credible. They make clear litigation will follow if the demand is not met, but don't overstate your case or make threats you can't back up. Courts sometimes see demand letters later. Write every demand as if a judge will read it.
Timing matters significantly. Send demands after investigating facts and evaluating legal claims, but before statute of limitations concerns arise. Give reasonable time to respond (10-30 days depending on complexity). Too short a deadline appears unreasonable. Too long allows opposing party to prepare defenses without pressure. Consider timing strategically. Demands sent right before holidays or end of fiscal years sometimes settle faster due to opposing party's desire to close issues. Demands sent too early, before you understand all facts, can undermine your credibility if you later change positions.
Common mistakes include excessive emotion (demands should be professional, not angry), vague damages calculations (specify every dollar), unrealistic demands (should bear reasonable relationship to actual damages), missing deadlines (always give specific response date), and threatening without preparation (don't threaten suit unless ready to file). Also avoid over-lawyering the analysis. Demand letters should be understandable to lay recipients. Save complex legal arguments for court filings. The goal is settlement, not showing off your legal knowledge.
What You Get
Complete pre-litigation demand letter with professional tone
Factual background, legal basis, and damages calculation
Clear settlement demand with response deadline
Credible litigation warning that creates urgency
Professional letter ready for attorney review and transmission
How It Works
- 1Provide claim detailsEnter facts, claim type, damages, and settlement demand
- 2AI generates demandOur AI writes a complete, professional demand letter in 3-4 minutes
- 3Attorney reviewReview and customize for specific strategy and tone
- 4Send and negotiateTransmit demand and pursue settlement before litigation
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I send a demand letter before filing suit?
Almost always, yes. Many courts require pre-suit demand attempts. Even when not required, demands often lead to settlement, saving both parties litigation costs. Demands also establish your good faith attempt to resolve, which looks favorable if you later go to court. Exceptions might include when you need emergency injunctive relief, when opposing party is judgment-proof making settlement unlikely, or when statute of limitations requires immediate filing. Your attorney can advise whether your specific situation benefits from a demand.
How much should I demand in settlement?
Demand should relate reasonably to actual damages but can include some negotiation room. Common approaches include demanding actual damages plus attorney fees and costs, or demanding slightly more than actual damages expecting negotiation. Avoid demands vastly exceeding damages, which undermine credibility. Also avoid demanding exactly what you'll accept, leaving no room for the give-and-take of negotiation. Your attorney should advise on strategic demand amounts for your specific case and jurisdiction.
What if the other side doesn't respond to my demand?
No response is itself information. It suggests opposing party doesn't take the claim seriously or is prepared to litigate. Wait until your deadline passes, then send one follow-up letter noting the missed deadline and giving perhaps 5-7 more days. If still no response, proceed with filing suit if appropriate. Some parties ignore demands hoping you'll go away. Following through with litigation after demands demonstrates you're serious. Your attorney can advise on next steps when demands go unanswered.
Can the demand letter be used against me later?
Possibly. Demand letters are generally admissible as party admissions. Write every demand as if a judge might read it later. Be factual and professional. Don't make legal arguments you're not confident in. Don't overstate damages. Don't include information you'd rather not disclose. Some attorneys mark demands as settlement offers to invoke evidentiary exclusions under Federal Rule of Evidence 408, though effectiveness varies by jurisdiction. Your attorney should review any demand before sending to ensure nothing will haunt you later.
Should I include all my evidence and legal theories?
No. Include enough to show you have a credible claim and understand the relevant law, but don't show your entire hand. You want opposing party to take you seriously without giving them your complete litigation strategy. Attach key documents that prove core facts, but not everything. Cite relevant statutes and case law, but don't write a legal memo. The demand should create settlement pressure, not educate opposing counsel on how to defend. Strike a balance between credibility and discretion. Your attorney can guide what to include.
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