Not legal advice — have a lawyer review it. Word, Google Docs and PDF.
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LETTERTemplate preview · Example
01
Services
Advice on the draft; marked-up lease.
02
Fees and payment
Deposit before work starts, invoices due within 14 days, expenses at cost with approval.
03
Billing increments
Time is recorded in units of six minutes (0.1 hour) and billed at the rates in the engagement letter.
04
Termination
Either party can end the agreement with written notice; work done to date is paid.
What a attorney engagement letter should cover
A attorney engagement letter sets out what you’ll deliver, what the client must do, how you’re paid and what happens if things change. For lawyers and attorneys, the clauses that matter most are usually billing increments.
Clause
Why it matters
Services and exclusions
Defines the work and stops scope creep before it starts.
Client responsibilities
Makes dependencies explicit and ties your dates to them.
Fees and payment
Deposit, payment terms, expenses and late payment.
Billing increments
Time is recorded in units of six minutes (0.1 hour) and billed at the rates in the engagement letter.
Termination
How either side can end it and what’s owed.
The template
Letter
Date: [Date]
Client: [Name and address]
Matter: [Matter name and number]
1. Scope of representation
We will represent you in [matter]. Our engagement does not include [excluded matters, e.g. appeals, tax advice] unless we agree in writing.
2. Who we represent
Our client is [person / entity] only, not its officers, employees or affiliates.
3. Conflicts
We have checked for conflicts of interest based on the parties you identified. Tell us promptly if other parties become involved.
4. Fees and billing
Fee basis: [Hourly / fixed / contingency, where permitted]
Rates: [Timekeeper and rate]
Billing increments: [0.1 hour]
Invoices: [Monthly, due within 30 days]
Costs and disbursements: [Charged at cost]
5. Advance payment
[If you take an advance or retainer, state how it is held and applied, following your jurisdiction’s client money or trust account rules.]
6. Communication
[Who will work on the matter and how we’ll keep you informed.]
7. Ending the engagement
You may end our engagement at any time. We may withdraw as permitted by the rules of professional conduct. Fees for work done remain payable.
8. File retention
We keep the file for [period] after the matter closes, then may destroy it, as permitted by our rules.
Acceptance
Client: [Name, signature, date]
Firm: [Name, signature, date]
How to fill it in
Fill in both parties’ legal names and addresses, and the effective date.
Describe the services and deliverables, or reference a signed statement of work.
List exclusions and the client’s responsibilities, with dates where they affect yours.
Set the fee, deposit, payment terms, expenses and late payment terms.
Review the legal-specific clauses, such as billing increments, and adapt them to the project.
Have a lawyer review the template for your jurisdiction, then sign it before work starts.
Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
PDF
Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).
Example: key terms for Hollis & Grant LLP and Westbrook Holdings
How the main clauses read once filled in for a commercial lease negotiation. Both companies are fictional.
Parties and dates
Provider: Hollis & Grant LLP
Client: Westbrook Holdings
Effective date: 1 March
Services
Advice on the draft
Marked-up lease
Negotiation with the other side’s lawyers
Not included
Litigation
Tax advice
Work for other parties
Fees and payment
Fee: $2,661.00 excluding tax, as itemised in the proposal
Deposit: $798.00 (30%) before work starts
Payment terms: Invoices due within 14 days
Notice: 14 days’ written notice by either party
Billing increments
Time is recorded in units of six minutes (0.1 hour) and billed at the rates in the engagement letter.
Common mistakes
Starting work before it’s signed. Most disputes start on projects where the terms were “agreed on a call”.
A scope described in one line. Reference a detailed scope or statement of work.
No change process. Without one, every extra request becomes a negotiation.
Copying clauses you don’t understand. If you can’t explain a clause to the client, ask a lawyer about it.
Angelwood’s proposal software builds proposals and agreements from your own templates, shows when the client has opened them and collects e-signatures, with a countersignature to execute the agreement.
What should an attorney engagement letter include?+
Commonly: who the client is, the scope and exclusions, fees and billing, how advance payments are handled, conflicts, communication, termination and file retention. Your bar or regulator may require specific terms.
Is a contract template legally binding?+
A template becomes binding once the parties agree and sign it, if it meets the legal requirements where you are. Whether it protects you depends on what it says, so have a lawyer review it for your jurisdiction.
Can contracts be signed electronically?+
In most countries, yes: electronic signatures are generally valid for business contracts like this one, with some exceptions for specific document types. Check the rules that apply to you.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?+
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?+
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.