Free CRM for accountants & bookkeepersFree for two months (60-day trial) · no per-user fees
Engagement letters
Unsigned Engagement Letters: The Hidden Risk in Your Practice
The clients you've been acting for without a signed letter
Built by a practising Chartered Accountant · Unlimited users · Free for 60 days
- Premier Books Consultancy
- Cranleys Chartered Accountants
- CJM Accountants
- Towpath Accounting Solutions
- Auditax International
- RS
Quick answer
Unsigned engagement letters mean you may be doing client work without a clear, agreed scope of service, fee or liability position in place. This matters because it weakens your defence if a dispute or complaint arises. Remindoo's proposal filters let you see every unsigned letter and set a reminder to chase it, free for 60 days.
What counts as an unsigned engagement letter risk?
Any client you're actively working for without a countersigned letter of engagement on file — whether it was never sent, sent and ignored, or sent so long ago the scope has changed.
It's easy to assume a letter that's been sent is a letter that's covered you. It isn't. Until a client has signed it, you don't have documented agreement on scope, fee, or the limits of your liability — you have a draft sitting in someone's sent items.
The risk grows quietly. A client starts as a quick favour, work begins before the letter's finalised, then a year passes and nobody's chased the signature because the relationship feels settled. It's exactly the clients you're most comfortable with where this gap tends to sit longest.
Why unsigned letters cost UK practices clients — and cases
A firm I spoke with had been acting for a long-standing client for over two years on an engagement letter that was sent but never returned. Nobody had noticed — the client paid on time, work went out on schedule, and there was no reason to look. Then a dispute arose over exactly what services were included when the client queried a fee increase.
Without a signed letter, the firm had to argue from memory and email trails about what had been agreed rather than pointing to one document. It didn't end in a formal complaint, but it easily could have — and the client relationship never fully recovered from the argument.
The letter had been sent. Nobody had ever gone back to check whether it had come back signed.
- Letter sent to client
- Client doesn't reply
- Work starts anyway
- Time passes, nobody checks
- Leak: Dispute arises with no signed agreement
Signs you have this problem
- You can't produce a list of clients without a signed engagement letter
- Letters are sent by email with no automatic record of whether they came back
- Work has started for a client before their letter was signed
- Old clients' letters reference services or fees that have since changed
- Chasing signatures depends on someone remembering to do it
How to find and fix unsigned engagement letters: step by step
- 1
List every active client
Start from your full client list, not just recent onboarding — long-standing clients are the most likely gap.
- 2
Check each one against a signed letter
Confirm whether a signed letter of engagement is on file for each active client.
- 3
Flag every gap
Build a list of clients with no signed letter, an outdated letter, or one that was never sent.
- 4
Re-send letters for every gap
Send an updated letter reflecting current services and fees to every flagged client.
- 5
Track unsigned letters centrally
Use proposal filters to see every unsigned letter in one place rather than relying on memory.
- 6
Set a follow-up reminder for anything outstanding
Chase unsigned letters on a fixed schedule rather than waiting for a dispute to force the issue.
- 7
Review annually
Check signed letters against current services each year, since scope tends to drift as clients grow.
Chase email for an unsigned letter of engagement
Use this for any client whose letter has been sent but not returned.
Copy and adapt
Subject: Quick action needed — your letter of engagement Hi [Client name], We sent your letter of engagement on [date] covering [services] but haven't had it back signed yet. It's a quick step to complete online — no printing needed. [Sign letter link] We just need this in place to confirm the scope of work we're agreeing together. Let me know if you have any questions about what's included. Thanks, [Your name] [Firm name]
How does Remindoo help you find and chase unsigned letters?
Automated chasing of unsigned letters isn't something Remindoo does on its own, but proposal filters let you see every unsigned letter of engagement across the practice in one view — by client, date sent, or how long it's been outstanding. That means you can find every gap in an afternoon rather than checking client files one by one. From there, you set a reminder to follow up, so chasing signatures becomes a scheduled task rather than something that only happens when someone remembers. Letters and proposals send by email with e-signature built in, so once a client is chased, signing is quick for them too. It's free for 60 days, long enough to run a full audit of your existing client base and clear the backlog.
Proposal filters
Find proposals by stage, owner and date.
See featureProposals and letters of engagement
Send proposals and engagement letters by email.
See featureE-signatures
Clients sign online, no printing or scanning.
See featureAutomated reminders
Timely prompts before work becomes urgent.
See featureClient timeline
Full history of notes, emails and actions.
See featureWhat changes when you fix it?
| Area | Spreadsheets, inbox and memory | With Remindoo |
|---|---|---|
| Finding unsigned letters | Checking client files one by one | One filtered view of every unsigned letter |
| Chasing signatures | Depends on someone remembering | Scheduled reminder to follow up |
| Evidence of scope agreed | Email trail and memory | A signed, dated letter on file |
| Sending a chase | Manually finding the original email | Same template, sent again in minutes |
| Annual review | Rarely happens | Straightforward to run against the client list |
See it working with your own clients
A 30-minute walkthrough using your leads, services and deadlines.
Why does professional guidance treat engagement letters as more than paperwork?
A signed engagement letter is your primary evidence of what was agreed if a client later disputes scope, fees or liability — without it, you're relying on memory and email trails.
| Situation | With a signed letter | Without one |
|---|---|---|
| Scope dispute | Point to the agreed document | Argue from memory and emails |
| Fee dispute | Fee terms are documented | No clear record of what was agreed |
| Liability limitation | Terms apply as written | May be difficult to rely on |
This is general practice guidance, not legal advice — check current requirements with your professional body.
“Automated reminders and task templates save countless hours each week.”
Frequently asked questions
Does Remindoo automatically chase clients who haven't signed?
Not automatically. Remindoo shows you every unsigned letter through proposal filters, and you set a reminder to follow up yourself.
How often should I check for unsigned letters?
Most firms find an annual check, alongside onboarding new clients, catches gaps before they become a problem.
What if a client refuses to sign?
That's a decision for the practice — some firms pause new work until it's signed. Remindoo helps you see the gap; the policy is yours to set.
Can I see how long a letter has been unsigned?
Yes, proposal filters show the date sent, so you can prioritise the oldest outstanding letters first.
Does an old signed letter cover new services I've since added?
Generally no — if scope has changed materially, it's worth sending an updated letter rather than relying on the original.
Is this feature free to try?
Yes, proposal filters and e-signature are included free for 60 days.
Ready to run a calmer practice?
See Remindoo with your own clients, or start free for 60 days with unlimited users.
Sources
Comparing options? Read our guide to proposal software for accountants.
Last updated: . General guidance, not regulatory advice.
Why tracking leads and proposals matters
Every enquiry a practice fails to follow up is lost fee income. A clear pipeline shows which prospects need a reply, a proposal or a follow-up.
Faster replies
Prospects often contact more than one firm, so the firm that replies first and clearly has an advantage.
Consistent proposals
Templates and a services catalogue keep scope and pricing consistent whoever writes the proposal.
Signed terms from day one
E-signed engagement letters confirm scope and responsibilities before work begins.
No re-keying
Converting a won lead into a client keeps the details you already collected.
Practical tips from UK practice
- Reply to every new enquiry within one working day.
- Use lead statuses that match your real sales stages, and review them weekly.
- Send the engagement letter with the proposal so the client signs once.
- Record why lost leads were lost, to improve pricing and messaging.
Related Remindoo features
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT, Chartered Accountant with 18+ years in practice. Founder and MD of Accotax, an ICAEW, ACCA and AAT regulated London practice that has served over 5,000 clients, and founder of Remindoo. Guidance is general; check current GOV.UK and professional body guidance for your firm.
What UK practices say about Remindoo
Read all reviews on Trustpilot“With Remindoo, everything from the first enquiry to onboarding and ongoing client management is tracked in one place… It saves us hours and gives me, as a practice owner, complete visibility of where the firm stands.”
“The biggest benefit is having clients, tasks, deadlines, workflows, proposals and communication all organised in one place.”
“During my trial, the team were absolutely amazing. They helped onboard my clients, set up my settings and made sure everything was ready for me to use… they made the whole process completely stress-free.”
“It brings client information, tasks, recurring deadlines, workflows and reminders together in one place, giving us much better visibility across the team.”
