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It also outlines professional formalities such as date, client information, salutation, and a reference to the matter, plus advice on forecasting legal action outcomes 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is the purpose of an advice letter to a client?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It summarizes prior communication, answers questions raised earlier, and helps the client decide how to proceed by presenting advice tied to the relevant facts and law.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What format elements should be included in a professional advice letter?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Include the date, the client’s name and address, a salutation with a colon, and a reference to the matter (such as a case or file number) before the salutation.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How should an attorney discuss the outcome of a legal action in the letter?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Clearly predict how the court, administrative body, or mediator is likely to decide the case, and organize the prediction with the supporting legal reasons so the client can understand the 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Wolcott,,recorder-editor@alm.com,,Special to the recorder  \nBody                                 \nPractitioners recall with(or without)great fondness their first semester writing assignment:the officememorandum or memorandum of law.The purpose of this exercise was likely only vaguely graspedby most first-semester law students.Even more vaguely grasped was the reason for having to followa particular format when organizing the sections of the memorandum of law.  \nNot until law graduates have passed a bar exam and are representing clients do they see howresearching and writing the memo of law formed a foundation for their thinking as lawyers.Thisthinking process applies to nearly every area of legal practice whether communicating to a judge,ajury,a client,a senior partner,opposing counsel,the public or an administrative panel.Thepractitioner's ability to read and understand the law and effectively communicate its application to aspecific situation greatly determines his professional success.  \nAfter several years in practice,attorneys take for granted that they can identify the legal issue presentedto them,perform the required research to understand the law and determine how the law will apply totheir client's situation.Whether writing an advice letter to a client,a demand letter to opposingcounsel,or a memorandum in support of a motion,attorneys,often unconsciously,use those skillslearned in the first two years of law school.  \n# Purpose and Format of the Advice Letter\n\nThe advice letter you send to an individual client usually communicates advice that you have given tothe client in person at your office,in a phone conversation or in a text exchange.Therefore,the letteris a summary of a previous conversation,answers questions raised in that conversation,and helps theclient decide how to proceed.  \n# Format\n\nThe format for the advice letter is similar to that of the office memo or memorandum of law assignedin the first year of law school.The opening paragraph states the legal issue the letter is addressingfollowed by the facts,a discussion of the law as it applies to the facts and a conclusion which isessentially the advice to the client.Often attorneys include headings to lead the client through thisprocess to arrive at the same conclusion.  \nThe Client Letter  \nThe advice letter to a client should be professional in tone.That is,it should be precise regarding thefacts and statement of the law.However,the advice letter may convey support or concern for the clientin the situation.This is one way your advice letter to a client differs from an office memorandum.Thetone of the letter,while professional,fits the problem for which the client seeks advice.If the clientis seeking advice regarding an emotional,familial or grief-provoking dilemma,the tone may be morepersonal and sympathetic.Also,your explanation of the law and advice to the client should fit theclient's level of sophistication,education and legal knowledge.  \nYour advice letter to an organization or a business will likely be more complex and less often a resultof an earlier conversation.The tone of the advice letter to an organization or business will,therefore,be less personal,more succinct and routine.  \nAny client advice letter should include the following professional letter writing formalities:  \n1.The date.  \n2.The client's name and address.  \n3.The salutation followed by a colon.  \n4.A reference to the matter being addressed.This could be a case number or a file number or the nameof the case.This reference should be included after the client's name and address and before thesalutation.  \n# Opening paragraph\n\nSimilar to the format used in the memorandum of law,begin by stating the issue or the problem forwhich the client has sought your advice.The le","cbCaij1qVQLgXy1S","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaij1qVQLgXy1S","pdf",174943,"English","# Purpose and Format of the Advice Letter\n## Format\n## Opening paragraph\n## Discussion of facts\n## Advice regarding the outcome of a legal action","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of an advice letter to a client?\",\"answer\":\"It summarizes prior communication, answers questions raised earlier, and helps the client decide how to proceed by presenting advice tied to the relevant facts and law.\"},{\"question\":\"What format elements should be included in a professional advice letter?\",\"answer\":\"Include the date, the client’s name and address, a salutation with a colon, and a reference to the matter (such as a case or file number) before the salutation.\"},{\"question\":\"How should an attorney discuss the outcome of a legal action in the letter?\",\"answer\":\"Clearly predict how the court, administrative body, or mediator is likely to decide the case, and organize the prediction with the supporting legal reasons so the client can understand the analysis.\"}]","Texas Lawyer - September 7, 2012 - Advice Letter Purpose and Format | PDF",1789524828]