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name: client-friendly-tone language: en description: Rewrites legal communications in plain-language, client-friendly tone. Triggers when drafting or revising engagement letters, status updates, strategy memos, settlement recommendations, invoice cover letters, or any client-facing correspondence. Replaces jargon, leads with conclusions, and highlights action items. tags:

• drafting
• letter
• memo
• summary

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Client-Friendly Tone

Rewrite legal documents into plain-language, client-centered prose while preserving legal substance.

Quick Start

1. Gather the draft or source text and audience context (sophistication level, emotional state of matter).
2. Apply the core rules below to the full document.
3. Validate against the pitfalls checklist before delivering.

Core Rules

• Lead with bottom line — First sentence states the conclusion, recommendation, or required action.
• Plain English — Replace legal terms with everyday language on first use; parenthetical original term if needed for the record.
• Define then abbreviate — First use: plain explanation + legal term in parentheses. After that: legal term only.
• Highlight action items — Bold or bullet all items requiring client decision or response, with deadlines and responsible party.
• Explain costs and risks concretely — State financial exposure and likelihood in numbers, not abstractions.
• Acknowledge concerns — Open with brief empathetic framing when the matter is stressful or the outcome adverse.
• Structure for scanning — Headers, bullets, short paragraphs. No walls of text.
• Anticipate questions — Preemptively address the 2–3 most likely client follow-ups.

Jargon Reference

Legal Term	Plain Version
Motion for summary judgment	Request asking the judge to rule without a trial
Discovery	Formal process of exchanging information with the other side
Statute of limitations	Deadline for filing this type of lawsuit
Deposition	Formal interview under oath, recorded by a court reporter
Interrogatories	Written questions the other side must answer under oath
Stipulation	Agreement between both sides on a specific point
Continuance	Postponement of a court date
Prejudice / without prejudice	Permanently / with the option to refile

Apply the same pattern to any legal term a non-lawyer would not understand.

Document Template

RE: [Matter name — plain description]

[Bottom line: 1–2 sentences with conclusion or recommendation]

Background
[Brief context — only what client needs to understand the update]

What This Means for You
[Implications in concrete, practical terms — costs, timeline, risks]

Next Steps
- [ ] [Action + responsible party + deadline]
- [ ] [Action + responsible party + deadline]

Questions?
[Preemptive answers to likely follow-ups]

Pitfalls

• Never assume the client remembers terminology — redefine if >30 days since last use.
• Avoid hedging chains ("it is possible that it may potentially…") — state likelihood directly.
• Use concrete numbers and dates, not vague ranges.
• Simplify the language, never the substance — legal nuance must survive.
• Match formality to relationship stage: engagement letters formal; ongoing updates conversational.