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Proposals & engagement
Re-Engaging Existing Clients With Updated Engagement Letters
Bring your whole existing client base onto current, correctly scoped letters
Built by a practising Chartered Accountant · Unlimited users · Free for 60 days
Centralised client information
Services, documents and notes in one record.
- Premier Books Consultancy
- Cranleys Chartered Accountants
- CJM Accountants
- Towpath Accounting Solutions
- Auditax International
- RS
Quick answer
Updating engagement letters for existing clients means auditing your client base for out-of-date or missing letters and reissuing them to reflect current services and terms. It matters because long-standing clients are often the ones with the weakest paper trail. Remindoo's client records and e-signature tools make reissuing letters to a whole client base manageable.
What does updating engagement letters for existing clients involve and why does it matter for UK practices?
It's a structured project to bring every current client onto a signed, accurate letter of engagement, prioritised by the size of the gap and the risk it represents.
New clients almost always get a proper letter of engagement as part of onboarding. Existing clients, particularly long-standing ones, are far more likely to be working under a letter that's years out of date, or none at all — because nobody built a process to revisit it.
This becomes a real risk over time: the clients a firm has known longest, and trusts most, are often the ones with the thinnest documentation.
Why do existing clients end up on outdated letters?
Onboarding gets the attention, not renewals
New client processes are usually well-defined, while nobody owns the ongoing task of refreshing existing letters.
Long relationships breed assumptions
The longer a firm has worked with a client, the more both sides assume the paperwork is 'sorted', often incorrectly.
Scope has changed silently
Services added or dropped over the years rarely trigger a formal update to the original letter.
No audit has ever been run
Without a deliberate check, firms simply don't know how many current clients lack an accurate letter.
It feels like reopening old ground
Staff sometimes worry that asking an established client to sign something new will seem odd or unsettling.
What does failing to update existing client letters cost a firm?
It leaves your longest and often most valuable clients as your weakest point of evidence if a scope or fee dispute ever arises, and it's a common professional body monitoring finding.
If a dispute or complaint ever arises with a long-standing client, an outdated or missing letter removes the firm's clearest reference point for what was actually agreed.
This is also one of the more common gaps found on ICAEW and ACCA monitoring visits, precisely because it's easy to overlook among clients who've never caused a problem.
How do you update engagement letters across your existing client base? Step by step
- 1
Audit every current client
Check each active client against whether a signed, current letter exists that matches the services they receive.
- 2
Categorise by gap type
Split clients into 'no letter', 'outdated scope' and 'outdated fee only' so you can prioritise and script each differently.
- 3
Prioritise highest risk first
Start with clients with no letter at all, or the largest fee or scope discrepancy.
- 4
Draft a simple reissue message
Explain briefly why an updated letter is being sent, framed as good housekeeping rather than a problem.
- 5
Send in manageable batches
Reissue letters to groups of clients over a set period rather than trying to complete the whole client base in one week.
- 6
Send for e-signature
Use electronic signature to make accepting the new letter quick and low-friction for the client.
- 7
Confirm completion and file
Track which clients have signed the updated letter and follow up on outstanding ones until the whole base is current.
How does Remindoo help with updating existing client engagement letters?
Remindoo's client records make it straightforward to see, client by client, whether a current letter of engagement exists, so an audit doesn't mean opening dozens of separate files. Once you've identified gaps, custom fields let you tag and group clients by the type of update they need, so you can run the reissue project in manageable batches. Engagement letter templates and e-signature mean sending an updated letter to a long-standing client is quick, and they can accept online rather than needing to print and post anything back. Recurring tasks can keep the project on track across weeks, and proposal filters show you which reissued letters are still outstanding. It's free for 60 days, which is enough time to complete an audit and start working through the highest-priority gaps.
Centralised client information
Services, documents and notes in one record.
See featureCustom fields and data tokens
Capture and reuse the data your firm needs.
See featureProposals and letters of engagement
Send proposals and engagement letters by email.
See featureE-signatures
Clients sign online, no printing or scanning.
See featureRecurring tasks
Repeat work is created automatically on schedule.
See featureSpreadsheets vs Remindoo: what changes?
| Area | Spreadsheets & email | With Remindoo |
|---|---|---|
| Auditing existing letters | Open every file individually | Reviewed from the client record |
| Prioritising gaps | No structure | Tagged and grouped by custom fields |
| Reissuing | Print, post or PDF | Sent for e-signature |
| Tracking progress | Manual spreadsheet | Visible via proposal filters |
| Project timeline | Open-ended, often abandoned | Managed with recurring tasks |
See it with your own clients
A 30-minute walkthrough using your services and deadlines.
“Automated reminders and task templates save countless hours each week.”
Frequently asked questions
Will long-standing clients be offended by a request to sign a new letter?
Most understand it as routine good practice once it's framed that way; very few will read it as a comment on the relationship.
How long does a full client base audit take?
It depends on client numbers, but breaking it into manageable weekly batches keeps the project moving without overwhelming the team.
Should I reprice at the same time as reissuing the letter?
You can combine the two, but be clear with the client about which change is which — bundling a fee increase with a housekeeping update can muddy the message.
What if a client refuses to sign an updated letter?
Understand their concerns and address them directly; a refusal to sign an accurate, fair letter is itself useful information about the relationship.
Is this a one-off project or ongoing?
Best treated as a one-off catch-up, followed by an ongoing annual review process so the gap never reopens at scale.
Is Remindoo free while I run this project?
Yes, Remindoo is free to use for 60 days, which typically covers auditing and starting the reissue process for your priority clients.
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. Check with your professional body.
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.”
