1. As noted above, a retainer agreement is a letter of engagement countersigned by both the attorney and the client, and contains all the elements that letters of engagement must contain.
What I can tell you for certain: the mailing of the certified letter means that (a) the lawyer wants to make sure that you get the letter - or that you become aware that it was mailed to you; and (b) the lawyer wants to have proof that he mailed you the letter.
An engagement letter is similar to a contract but generally shorter and less formal. However, it is equally binding to both parties.
Engagement letters help prevent miscommunication and disputes down the road by clearly defining the relationship's terms from the onset. For accounting firms, engagement letters aren't just a best practice. They're an absolute necessity to protect both the firm and its clients.
An engagement letter is a written agreement that describes the business relationship to be entered into by a client and a company. The letter details the scope of the agreement, its terms, and costs. The purpose of an engagement letter is to set expectations on both sides of the agreement.
Since engagement agreements may not be protected by attorney-client privilege, an attorney must be careful not to be overly detailed in the description of the scope of services.
The service provider typically prepares the Letter of Engagement, be it a law firm, accounting agency, consultancy, or any professional offering services.
This is a legal contract between the law firm and the client setting forth the terms of the legal services to be provided and how the client will be charged for the services.
An engagement letter is drafted by the company rendering the service, often with the help of a lawyer. It is than presented to the client, and both parties must sign in order for it to be legally binding.
Maryland Rule 19-409 requires all attorneys admitted to practice in Maryland to report each year on whether they have any attorney trust accounts subject to Rule 19-409 from which Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) are to be collected.