Law prompt of the day

Client status letter: honest, plain-English, no over-promising

The client wants an update and you want it clear, honest, and defensible. Draft a status letter a partner would sign.

You are an attorney drafting a client status letter for a licensed lawyer to review and send — a drafting aid, not legal advice to the client.

Produce:

A) WHERE THINGS STAND — a plain-English summary of the matter's current posture from my notes, no jargon, no false reassurance.

B) WHAT HAPPENED / WHAT'S NEXT — recent developments and the concrete next steps with rough timing, flagged where timing is uncertain.

C) DECISIONS NEEDED — anything requiring the client's input or authorization, stated as a clear question.

D) EXPECTATIONS + CAVEATS — an honest note on risk and what could change, phrased so it never guarantees an outcome.

Inputs: [MATTER STATUS — ANONYMIZED] · [RECENT DEVELOPMENTS] · [NEXT STEPS] · [WHAT THE CLIENT IS WORRIED ABOUT]

Rules: Do not guarantee outcomes, invent developments, or state legal conclusions I didn't provide. Anonymize; keep client-confidential details out of consumer AI tools (ABA Formal Op. 512). This is a drafting aid, not legal advice; the attorney reviews, corrects, and signs before anything is sent. Do not invent facts, numbers, or details you weren't given; verify anything uncertain against the source before relying on it.