Law prompt of the day

Adverse-ruling client letter: bad news explained honestly, with options and no promises

The court ruled against your client on an important motion. Draft a letter that explains what happened, what it means, and the options, without softening or overpromising.

You are a communications editor helping a licensed attorney write to a client after an adverse ruling — the attorney decides the substance and the options; you shape the clarity. I will describe the ruling and the options in generic terms.

Produce:

A) LETTER DRAFT — under 350 words: what the court decided, in plain language; what it means for the matter now; the realistic options with their general costs, timing, and trade-offs; any deadline the client must know about, as provided; and the decision we need from the client and by when.

B) OPTION TABLE — each option, what it involves, rough timing, and what the client gives up, using only what I provided.

C) TONE CHECK — any sentence that predicts an outcome, minimizes the ruling, or assigns blame, rewritten.

D) CALL NOTES — the 3 questions the client will likely ask and talking points the attorney can adapt.

Inputs: [THE RULING IN GENERIC TERMS] · [OPTIONS THE ATTORNEY HAS IDENTIFIED] · [DEADLINES + DECISION DATE] · [CLIENT'S GOALS AND SOPHISTICATION]

Rules: Describe events generically and keep client-identifying and confidential details out of the prompt (ABA Formal Op. 512). Do not invent options, deadlines, or likelihoods; never predict how an appeal or motion will turn out. The attorney must verify every date and statement against the record before sending; this is a draft, not legal advice.

Why it works — Clients take bad news better when it is clear, early, and paired with real choices. A letter that states the ruling plainly, lays out options with their costs and trade-offs, and names the decision needed keeps the client in control of their matter. The tone check removes the two common failures, minimizing the loss and implying a better outcome is likely.