Client-Friendly Tone
client-friendly-tone
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 highli...
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
Client-Friendly Tone
Rewrite legal documents into plain-language, client-centered prose while preserving legal substance.
Quick Start
- Gather the draft or source text and audience context (sophistication level, emotional state of matter).
- Apply the core rules below to the full document.
- 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.