How to respond to a Legal Notice?

A legal notice is an example of written communication that specifies how and what information one must include in the statement. A legal notice is a written document that serves as a formal correspondence between the parties involved in a particular matter. A legal notice informs the receiver that the sender intends to take legal action against them. A legal notice also helps in informing the receiving party of the sender’s grievances.

A legal notice is an example of written communication that specifies how and what information one must include in the statement.

When writing a legal notice, it is crucial to follow the proper format. A legal notice is a written document that serves as a formal correspondence between the parties involved in a particular matter. A legal notice informs the receiver that the sender intends to take legal action against them. A legal notice also helps in informing the receiving party of the sender’s grievances.

Advantages of the Legal Notice:

• Alert: A legal notice serves as a warning to the defendants. It guarantees that he is mindful of the responsibilities that he must fulfill or face the consequences of non-compliance.
• Resolution of the dispute: Legal notice provides a reasonable opportunity to both the parties to settle their differences by conversation, mediation, or arbitration rather than taking the matter to court.
• Amicable settlement: Since the litigation process takes time and money, it is better to resolve the matter directly with a legal notice. It is a much simpler and quicker process.

One essential thing you should keep in mind is that a notice is a communication tool for civil matters. In case of criminal suits, only government can bring the action against a wrongdoer. 

How to respond to a Legal Notice?

You must respond to the legal notice within the time limit. If you fail to respond within a specific period, it can help the person who has sent the notice. 

Following are some things to keep in mind after receiving the notice:

1. Reading the legal notice carefully: It is important to read the notice carefully to comprehend the other party’s problem and issues. If the legal notice recipient believes that the issues can be addressed amicably by a conversation, it should start right away.

2. Contacting a Lawyer: If the legal notice contents are unclear, you should consult a knowledgeable lawyer to pursue legal action. Besides this, you should maintain a record of when the legal notice reached you. It would be useful even if the case matter goes to court.

3. Briefing the lawyer: You should be careful about this move. You must inform the whole matter to your lawyer. You should provide all required details to the lawyer about the evidence, time, location, incidents, and so on that are relevant to the issue. This information will assist your lawyer in drafting a reasonable response that reflects your side of an argument.

After your lawyer drafts the reply notice on your behalf, it is submitted either by registered mail or courier. Your lawyer will a copy of the reply note or future reference.

What if you fail to respond to a Legal Notice?

If you fail to respond within a certain amount of time after receiving the legal notice, the aggrieved party can file a lawsuit in the proper court of law. 

After filing the suit, you will receive an order from the court to appear in court as the respondent of the case. There you need to address the charges brought against you by the opposing party.

Common blunders made while responding to a legal notice.

• The most common blunder is failing to respond to a legal notice on time. Here the petitioner (sender) will make every effort to get your response to the notice as soon as possible and within the time frame specified in the notice. Otherwise, the sender can take drastic measures.
• If you do not understand the notice’s terms, you should consult a competent lawyer for the same.
• You should not make any mistake related to the section under which you got the notice. You must be aware of the section mentioned in your legal notice.
• People fail to include the date in their notices. It is important to have a date in the notice. You should be careful about that.
• If you consult an advocate, remember that both you and your advocate’s signatures are needed to reply to the notice.
• The sender’s current address should be included so that it can reach the intended recipient on time. Causing delay can create trouble for you in the future.
• You should include the current phone number of the sender in your response to the legal notice.

ParthaSaarathi LLP lead by Adv. Viraj Patil is one of the most experienced Advocate in Navi Mumbai regarding property issues. Connect with us at contact@parthasaarathi.com.