For an engagement letter to be binding, there must be agreement to the terms on both sides. The engagement letter is drafted and, in most cases, signed by the firm, therefore there is clear evidence of the agreement of the contents of the letter on the firm's side.
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.
Certified Mail requires a signature upon delivery, which can be requested by the sender in order to check that the letter has been delivered to the right person.
The final component of a formal letter is your signature. Include your full name and job title if relevant, followed by your wet signature and printed name.
In summary, both the auditing firm and the organization being audited must sign the SOC report, with the organization signing the Management Assertion and Representation and the auditor signing the independent Auditors opinion within the SOC report.
In the interest of streamlining the content of engagement letters, a CPA firm may utilize a Terms and Conditions Addendum which includes provisions applicable to all engagements. This protocol enables engagement teams to focus their attention on determining and agreeing to the engagement specifics with the client.
Engagement letters need to be presented to the client at the beginning of the relationship before work commences. They should also periodically be reissued, especially when the scope of services changes or if the business changes its prices.
Engagement letters set the terms of the agreement between two parties and include details such as the scope, fees, and responsibilities, among others. Some of the benefits of engagement letters are that they are legally binding documents, they reduce misunderstandings, and they set clear expectations.
An addendum is an addition to a document, often used in contracts. It modifies the original agreement without rewriting it from scratch. It's legally binding once signed and helps clarify or change terms. Common types include real estate, lease, insurance, law school applications, and GAP insurance addendums.