Sending a legal notice marks the commencement of potential litigation. If the terms of the legal notice are met with or the grievance referred to are resolved, there would be no ground for a cause of action and the notice would have served its purpose. If these grievances are not addressed, a legal notice must be served before initiation of a lawsuit.

In some cases, it becomes mandatory by virtue of the law to serve a legal notice before commencement of any legal proceedings. Such situations may include but are not limited to cheque bounce and proceedings against the government or a public officer.

Serving a legal notice may resolve a dispute in its initial stage before transforming into a lawsuit, hence saving the time and resources of both parties and also giving a fair opportunity to the receiver to express their rebuttal.

• Saves time as legal proceeding takes a lot of time and effort
• Saves money as litigation costs huge amount of money
• First step to initiate a civil suit and provide a chance to put forward their issues and grievances
• Provides a fair chance to resolve the issue and grievances in the beginning without entering into a civil suit procedure

A legal notice must contain several essential elements for it to be effective. It must include the sender’s details, the receiver’s details (as far as can be ascertained), grievance, and how the receiver can resolve their liability with respect to the grievance.

For instance, a legal notice under Section 80 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908 shall contain:

1. Basic details of the sender including his/ her name and address
2. Description of grievance (Statement for cause of action)
3. Relief or action sought by the sender
4. Basis for the cause of action (right(s) violated)

STEP 1: Drafting of the legal notice

STEP 2: Signing of the legal notice by the lawyer and the Sender

STEP 3: Sending the notice through Registered Post or through Courier, with a copy kept for reference along with the acknowledgement of dispatch

STEP 1: Read the notice properly in order to understand the raised concerns and issues.

STEP 2: Initiate a conversation (if the issue can be resolved through conversation)

STEP 3: Contact Filecrat for further procedures within stipulated time.