Workflow guide · for solo and small firms
How to send an engagement letter for e-signature
A checklist for getting engagement letters and fee agreements signed the same day as the consultation — what to prepare, where the signatures and initials go, who signs first, and what to keep in the file. It works with any e-signature tool.
General information, not legal advice. Rules on engagement letters and fee agreements vary by jurisdiction.
Before you send
- Final version of the letter: scope of representation, fee basis, retainer/trust terms, who at the firm is responsible, termination.
- The client’s full legal name and the email address they actually read (confirm it during the consultation).
- If the fee is contingent, the percentage(s), how expenses are handled, and whether they come out before or after the fee.
- Decide who signs: the client (and any co-client or guarantor), then the responsible attorney.
Fields to place
- Client signature and date on the signature page.
- Client initials next to the fee terms, and next to any provision you want specifically acknowledged (e.g. arbitration, file-retention policy).
- Printed name, if your letter doesn’t already show it.
- Attorney countersignature and date.
- Leave out fields the client doesn’t need to complete — every extra field is a reason to stall.
When you send
- Set the signing order: client first, attorney second.
- Use a short, specific message: what it is, what you need, and who to call with questions.
- Send while the consultation is fresh — the same day is ideal.
- Make sure replies to the signing email reach your office, not a no-reply mailbox.
Follow-up and filing
- If it hasn’t been opened in two business days, send one reminder; if it was opened but not signed, a quick call usually beats another email.
- Watch for bounced signing emails — a typo in the address stalls everything silently.
- File the completed PDF and its audit trail/certificate with the matter.
- Save the letter as a template so the next client takes a minute, not a morning.
Common reasons engagement letters stall
- The email went to an old or mistyped address, or into spam, and nobody noticed.
- The letter arrived days after the consultation, when the client’s urgency had faded.
- The client had a question about fees and there was no easy way to ask — the email came from a no-reply address.
- Too many fields: initials on every page, redundant dates, optional boxes marked required.
- Everyone was sent the document at once, and the attorney signed a version the client then asked to change.
When the engagement letter is part of a packet
In personal injury and similar practices, the engagement or contingency agreement usually goes out with other intake documents — medical-records authorizations, an intake questionnaire, a communication consent. Sending them as one package the client signs in a single sitting gets them back faster than four separate emails. See how to send a client intake packet for e-signature.
Doing this in Tarchos Sign
- Upload your engagement letter once, place the client and attorney fields, and save it as a template.
- Rename the signers “Client” and “Attorney” so anyone in the office knows who is who.
- For each new client: choose the template, type the client’s name and email, and send. On Business and Pro, “sign in order” emails the attorney only after the client has signed.
- The email comes from “your name via Tarchos Sign” with replies going to your office; you can see if it was delivered or bounced, and send a reminder from the document page.
- The completed PDF carries a completion certificate with the signing record for your file.
Free includes one reusable template. Early customers can email us their letter and we’ll help set it up.
Frequently asked questions
- Can an engagement letter be signed electronically?
- In the U.S., the ESIGN Act and state UETA laws generally give electronic signatures the same effect as handwritten ones for ordinary agreements, and engagement letters are routinely signed this way. Some jurisdictions have specific rules for particular fee arrangements, so check your state’s rules of professional conduct and any bar guidance. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- Does a contingency-fee agreement have to be signed by the client?
- Under ABA Model Rule 1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client, and many states adopt that rule, sometimes with additional requirements. Check your own jurisdiction’s version of the rule.
- Should the attorney sign before or after the client?
- Many firms have the client sign first and the attorney countersign after, so the firm isn’t bound to terms the client never accepted and the attorney only signs the final version. Whatever your practice, set the signing order explicitly in your e-signature tool rather than sending to everyone at once.
- What should I keep in the matter file?
- The fully signed PDF and the signing record: who signed, when, from which email address, and the IP address and device. Good e-signature tools attach this as a completion certificate or audit trail. Keep it with the matter, not only inside the e-signature service.
- Is email-link signing enough to identify the client?
- A signing link sent to the client’s email shows the signature came from someone with access to that inbox. For most engagement letters that’s the norm. For higher-risk matters, some firms confirm identity separately — for example by phone, or by checking ID at the consultation — and note it in the file.
Set up your engagement letter once
Start free — one reusable template is included — or email us your letter and we’ll help you set it up.