NOTE: This material is intended as only an example which you may use in developing your own form. It is not considered legal advice and
as always, you will need to do your own research to make your own conclusions with regard to the laws and ethical opinions of your
jurisdiction. In no event will ALPS or the State Bar of Nevada be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages resulting from
the use of this material.
Sample Non Engagement Letters
Letter 1
{Date}
____________________
____________________
____________________
Re: Declination of Service
Dear ________________:
We met in my office last week and discussed your potential claim against __________________.
After our meeting I further researched the law in this particular area and had your matter reviewed
here at our firm. This review included a consideration of the time and expense that must be incurred
in order to properly serve you in this matter.
At present, due to the number of pending cases here at our firm, we are not able to represent you in
this case. Please understand that it is our firm policy to decline representation in any new matter
where we do not feel confident that we can invest all of the time and energy necessary to do the best
job possible for the client. We simply could not find the time to assure that in your case.
I urge you to seek the services of another attorney as soon as possible. It appears that you do have a
time critical matter. This means that the law requires you to take legal action within a certain period
of time after you sustain a loss or become aware of any action that might cause damage to you. The
permissible times to file a legal action and take other steps to protect you vary depending upon all of
the circumstances and potential defendants. If you wish to pursue this matter further, I encourage you
to contact another attorney without delay in order to preserve whatever rights you may have.
We do appreciate your consulting us regarding this matter and regret that we can act no further on it.
Enclosed are the materials you gave me during our office meeting. We have kept no copies.
Best wishes,
__________________
Enclosure(s)
NOTE: This material is intended as only an example which you may use in developing your own form. It is not considered legal advice and
as always, you will need to do your own research to make your own conclusions with regard to the laws and ethical opinions of your
jurisdiction. In no event will ALPS or the State Bar of Nevada be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages resulting from
the use of this material.
Letter 2
{Date}
___________________
___________________
___________________
Re: Declination of Service
Dear _________________,
Thank you for consulting ________(Firm Name)__________ in conjunction with your
_________________________. The confidence you have placed in this office by consulting us is
appreciated.
Regrettably, we cannot assist you in this matter due to a conflict of interest. This means that we have
a loyalty to a current or previous client that prevents us from representing you in this matter.
Enclosed please find the materials you left with me for review. We have not kept any copies, nor have
we discussed this matter with anyone outside of this office.
I suggest that you take this matter to another lawyer promptly if you wish the work we discussed to
be done. While the law may not include any time limit for this matter to be completed, it is always
wise to have legal work done on a timely basis and to avoid delay.
Though we regret we could not undertake this project at this time, I hope you will consider
_______(Firm Name)_________ for any future legal work.
Sincerely,
__________________
Enclosure(s)
NOTE: This material is intended as only an example which you may use in developing your own form. It is not considered legal advice and
as always, you will need to do your own research to make your own conclusions with regard to the laws and ethical opinions of your
jurisdiction. In no event will ALPS or the State Bar of Nevada be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages resulting from
the use of this material.
Letter 3
{Date}
___________________
___________________
___________________
Re: Declination of Service
Dear _________________:
We are sending you this letter to ensure you are clear about our role in your legal matter. Though we
have met and discussed your case, and perhaps have taken some other steps to review it, we cannot
represent you in this matter. Please be aware that any advice or opinion given during our initial
consultation was preliminary only and not based upon a thorough legal analysis of the issues
involved. Further, this declination should not be construed as our making a statement about the merits
of this case. We have made no such investigation and express no opinion as whether you have a
viable or valuable claim.
You will find enclosed any documents you left with our firm for review. We have not kept any
copies, and we have not discussed this matter with anyone outside of this office.
We do recognize that the case you brought to us was important to you. You should be aware that our
preliminary investigation shows there may be a statute of limitations problem. It does appear that you
have a time critical matter. Specifically, you may have a claim for ___________________________.
It would appear that ___(Name of State)___ laws would bar you from bringing any suit for recovery
within _____ years of _____. Understand, however, that there are exceptions that could substantially
alter this time frame. The actual date may be earlier or later. We have not sufficiently investigated
your matter to make a final determination at this time. If you wish to pursue this matter do not wait
to consult with other counsel about the statute of limitations as failure to do so could result in the
loss of valuable rights.
Though we regret we could not undertake this project at this time, you might consider the state bar
lawyer referral program or one of the following firms for any future legal work: _________________
(List a minimum of three firms)________________________________________________________.
Sincerely,
____________________
Enclosure(s)