How to Draft a Legal Notice in Pakistan

What to know first

A good notice states the breach as a breach of a named obligation, makes each demand a specific act, and gives a compliance period with the consequence of not complying. Two provisions often matter. Where the addressee is the Government or a public body, a notice before suit may be required under Section 80 of the Civil Procedure Code. Where the grievance is a bounced cheque, Section 489-F of the Pakistan Penal Code is the provision engaged.

Facts you need before drafting

• The parties: full names, parentage and addresses of both sides.
• The material facts with dates, in chronological order.
• The breach or grievance: which obligation was broken, and how.
• The relief sought, stated exactly.
• The compliance period: the days given before proceedings are started.
• The governing document and the amount in issue, if there are any.

Sections, in order

1. Title: LEGAL NOTICE, with the subject in one line.
2. Mode of service: registered A.D. or courier.
3. To: the addressee, with parentage and address.
4. From: the sender, with parentage and address.
5. Counsel framing: "Under instructions and on behalf of my client".
6. Numbered material facts, in chronological order.
7. The breach, stated as a breach of a named obligation.
8. Legal basis: the provision or clause relied on.
9. Demands, numbered, each one a specific act.
10. Compliance period and the consequence of non-compliance.
11. Reservation of rights.
12. Signature block: counsel, address and Bar Council enrolment number.
13. Copy to the client, for the record.

How FAI drafts it

FAI Legal Research Assistant fills a reviewed template from your facts instead of writing from scratch. It asks for facts you have not given rather than inventing them, and it cites only sections and judgments it has in its record. The output is a first draft for an advocate to settle and file. The free plan includes 10 drafts a month, and downloads as PDF or Word are on the paid plans.

What a template does not do

• It does not decide which provision applies. You must check whether Section 80 CPC or Section 489-F PPC is engaged on your facts.
• It does not send the notice. Keep proof of service, such as the registered A.D. receipt.
• It is not legal advice and does not replace an advocate. An advocate must settle every document before it is filed or served.
• It cannot know your province, forum or facts unless you give them, and it cannot infer a date.
• It does not file or serve anything, and it does not work out court fees, stamp duty or limitation for you.

Related

• Defamation and Sections 499 and 500 PPC
• Cheating and Section 420 PPC

Frequently asked

Is a legal notice filed in court?

No. It is served on the addressee.

What should the demands look like?

Numbered, and each one a specific act, followed by a compliance period and the consequence of not complying.