How to handle a legal threat from a customer

August 25, 2021 1:45 PM

A good friend of mine runs a service business. A few years ago, one of his customers became upset with the services provided. My friend did all he could to address the issue but couldn't satisfy the customer. My friend terminated the business relationship and thought that was that, but now the customer is threatening legal action.

Out of the blue, the client sent a letter to him threatening legal action. My friend is confident there isn't a case but what should he do in the meantime? Should he just ignore the letter? It's possible the client just wants attention and responding would just lead to a cycle of drama. On the other hand, he might escalate to get the attention he wants. My friend has gathered all the back-and-forth correspondence over the years in case it should be needed.

posted by storybored to Human Relations (6 answers total)

Ignore the letter and put the burden on the client if they want to pursue legal action. If a letter comes from a lawyer, then your friend can respond in kind. There's nothing to be gained from continuing a relationship with the client.

(I'm assuming your friend doesn't owe the customer any money or completed service or the like. If service/money is owed, get it to the customer ASAP and then terminate all communication.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:07 PM on August 25, 2021

[Question was taken down temporarily and redrafted in cooperation with the asker to avoid a framing issue re: mental illness.]
posted by cortex at 5:25 PM on August 25, 2021

If a letter comes from a lawyer

...or a process server, or a court. Letters from regular people are just letters. Court summonses are legal documents that you are required to respond to.

If you read /r/legaladvice, a common refrain is that lots of people threaten to sue, but few of them actually do. But if they do, that's when you start dealing with your own lawyer.
posted by Hatashran at 5:48 PM on August 25, 2021

I agree with the posters above that, assuming your friend doesn't owe this ex-client money or services, he should not engage unless or until something legally actionable actually happens. However, he should leave communication channels open because it's important to be aware, to the extent possible, of any signs that the client has become fixated on your friend and the "wrongs" suffered. If there is any hint that the former client is escalating and might pose a physical threat to your friend or his business, then it's time to consult an attorney and possibly bring the pile of documents to the authorities.
posted by carmicha at 7:28 PM on August 25, 2021

I would probably ignore, but one alternative is to reply with the name and contact information for your lawyer. That would let the person know you are not concerned and not ignoring them in case they are doing it to get attention.
posted by AugustWest at 9:31 PM on August 25, 2021

Definitely ignore the letter. Beyond that, if your friend doesn’t have a lawyer, now would be a good time to look for one, just in case this gets escalated.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:37 AM on August 26, 2021