How to Write an Agreement Letter

This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013.

This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.

This article has been viewed 184,287 times.

Agreement letters can be written for a variety of purposes. One common reason people need agreement letters is when they have orally agreed to perform work for someone and want a written agreement of the terms. There is no one way to write an agreement letter. However, you should include basic information such as the nature of the agreement, deadlines, and terms of payment.

Reaching an Agreement

• Try to come to as much agreement as possible. An agreement letter can be less formal than a contract. However, it needs to be sufficiently definite so that both parties understand what is expected.

• To successfully negotiate, you should be prepared to give something away to get something in return. For example, if you want a little more money for the project, then agree to an extra round of revisions. Or if you want to lower the overall cost of the project, then offer to pay more upfront.

• the nature of the agreed upon work
• deadlines
• terms of payment (how much, method of payment, etc.)
• when the agreement begins and ends
• other details

Drafting the Agreement Letter

• If you have letterhead, then you should use it when you print off the agreement letter. Be sure to space down five or six lines so that the letter doesn’t print over the letterhead.

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Title the letter. At the very top of the page, you should place the words “Letter of Agreement” in bold. Center the text. [4] X Research source

• Two lines below the title, insert your address if you are not using letterhead. Two lines below your address, put in the date. [5] X Research source
• Two lines below that, insert the other party’s address.
• Insert the salutation two lines below the address. For example, “Dear Ms. Jones” or “Dear Mr. Faulkner.”

Explain the letter’s purpose. In the first paragraph, you should state why you are writing the agreement letter. [6] X Research source For example, you could write, “The purpose of this agreement letter is to outline the requirements for the wedding reception Madelyn Smith will organize for me, June 12, 2016.”

• If you are hiring someone to plan a wedding, then you would want to list what the event planner should do. For example: hire a band, coordinate with a florist, provide one meal for 55 guests, and rent the reception hall.

• For example, you could state, “Quarterly status reports will be made as follows: April 1; June 30; and September 30. The final draft should be submitted no later than December 31, 2016. These deadlines can be amended by the signed written agreement of the parties.”

• For example, you could state, “Revisions may be made by the artist only after completion of the first mock-up. Once the client has approved of the mock-up, additional fees will be charged for revisions made after this fact.”
• You can also state the number of revisions. For example, you could state, “The maximum number of free revisions is two. If client wants more, then client will be charged additional fees.”

• For example, the letter could say, “A sum of $1,000 will be paid to Mr. Jones within five business days of signing this agreement. Mr. Jones will bill the balance for the project at the completion date (tentatively June 1, 2016) and payment in full will fall due within 14 business days.”
• Also include a clause on cancellation. The other party might want to cancel before you have completed the project. In this case, you will need to explain how much they will owe for partial work. For example, you could write, “Cancellation fees will be calculated as follows: 50% of the final fee is due within 15 business days if the project is cancelled for any reason before completion. One hundred percent (100%) of the total fee is due despite cancellation if the project has been completed.”

• You could state, “This agreement comes into effect January 1, 2016. It will expire December 31, 2016. At that point, both parties will consider whether to extend the agreement.”

• Sample language might read, “This Agreement will be governed by the law of the state of Texas.”

• A typical non-disclosure clause might read, “The parties agree that in their performance under this letter all intellectual property or information marked as confidential will be handled with the standard of care normally given to confidential information.”

• You could write, “This letter contains the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter. No promise or condition not contained in the letter is binding. If any term is held invalid or unenforceable, then the remainder of the agreement should remain in effect. No modification of this agreement shall be valid unless made in writing and signed by both parties.”

• Just above the signature block type the words “Understood and Agreed.”

Finalizing the Letter

• Give the other party a week to review the letter and return it to you with corrections. You will then type up a new master letter.
• If you don’t agree with suggested corrections, then call the other party and discuss your disagreement. You cannot sign a letter unless you both agree to the contents contained in it.

Sign the letter. Once you come to an agreement, print off the letter and sign it, using black ink. Add the date. Keep a copy of the letter for your records.

• Mail the letter certified mail, return receipt requested. This way, you will know that it was received.
• Also include a copy of the letter in the envelope for the other party’s records.

Store your copy safely. When you get the signed letter returned, be sure to store it safely where it won’t be damaged. You may need to rely on the agreement letter should a dispute arise between you and the other party. The letter could serve as evidence in a lawsuit, for example.

Expert Q&A

Think about meeting with a lawyer to draft a proper contract. Don’t think that because the agreement is in letter form that it doesn’t bind you to the agreement the way a contract would. An agreement letter may be more informal than a contract, but it is a legally-binding agreement just the same. If you are unsure about whether to sign an agreement letter, meet with a lawyer.

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1. ↑https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinrand/2021/05/26/how-to-negotiate-effectively/
2. ↑https://www.iup.edu/writingcenter/writing-resources/organization-and-structure/creating-an-outline.html
3. ↑https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/basic_business_letters/index.html
4. ↑https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/letter-of-agreement
5. ↑https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/BusinessLetter.html
6. ↑https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/letter-of-agreement
7. ↑https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/letter-of-agreement
8. ↑https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/letter-of-agreement
9. ↑https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-plan/tools-and-resources/documents/Agreement-Purchase-MBRS-project.pdf

About This Article

This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013. This article has been viewed 184,287 times.

To write an agreement letter, start by titling your document "Letter of Agreement" in bold, centered text, then add your address, the date, and the other party's address. After a salutation like, "Dear Ms. Jones," explain the purpose of your letter and follow that with a detailed outline of the tasks to be performed, including important deadlines. Also, make sure to mention how much you'll be paid, when you'll be paid, and how long the agreement will be in effect. In case there is a dispute later, be sure to include a cancellation clause and state which laws govern the letter by writing something like, "This Agreement will be governed by the law of the state of Texas." Finally, state that the letter contains the entire agreement and sign it to make it official. For more tips from our Legal co-author, like how to finalize your agreement letter, read on!

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