The demand-letter framework

What this module does and does not do

If a person reads their own bill, organizes their own records, and decides for themselves that they want to raise the matter in writing, it helps to understand how a clear, businesslike self-advocacy letter is generally put together. This module teaches that general structure and the thinking behind it. It does not write a letter for you, it does not supply your facts, and it does not assert that anything in any particular situation was wrong. Every sentence of any letter you send is yours to write.

The general anatomy of a self-advocacy letter

As a general matter, a clear letter of this kind tends to move through a small number of plain, factual parts. Understanding the purpose of each part is the point. The wording is always the writer's own.

• Identify yourself and the engagement State plainly who you are and which working relationship or matter you are writing about, so the reader knows the context without guessing.
• State what you paid State, as a simple factual matter, what you paid, drawn from your own records. This is a statement of fact from your own documentation, not a characterization.
• State, factually, what you observed in your own records Describe what you yourself observed when you read your own bill and records, in neutral factual terms and in your own words. You are describing your own observations, not labeling them with legal conclusions.
• State what you are asking for State plainly and specifically what you are requesting. A clear, concrete request is generally easier to read and respond to than a vague one.
• Set a reasonable deadline Indicate a reasonable date by which you are asking for a response. What is reasonable is your own judgment based on your own circumstances.
• Keep the tone businesslike A factual, professional, non-hostile tone is generally easier for any reader to engage with. The letter is a record as much as a message.

That is the general framework. Notice that each part is about stating facts plainly and asking clearly. None of it requires you to assert a legal conclusion, and this program does not draw one for you.

Two examples, kept clearly separate

Below are two distinct boxes. They are deliberately separated and labeled so there is no confusion about what each one is. Read them as illustrations of structure only.

[PLACEHOLDER. Eric to paste his real redacted demand letter here. Do not fabricate this. Until Eric provides it, this box shows the framework only.]

[date]

[name and address of the recipient]

Re: [the engagement or matter you are writing about]

Dear [recipient],

My name is [your name]. I am writing about [identify the engagement or working relationship in your own words].

For that work, I paid a total of [amount you paid], according to my own records.

When I reviewed my own records, I observed the following, stated as a matter of fact: [what you observed in your own records, in your own neutral words. Describe only what you saw. Do not label it.]

In light of what I observed, I am asking for the following: [what you are asking for, stated plainly and specifically].

I would appreciate a response by [your deadline]. You can reach me at [your contact information].

Thank you for your attention to this.

[your name]
[your signature, if sending on paper]

The first box is a worked example placeholder. The second is a neutral skeleton. Neither one is your letter. If you choose to write one, you replace every bracket with your own facts and your own words, you decide what to include, and you decide whether to send anything at all.