unopost

Free letter templates

Letter of demand template

For money you’re owed: an unpaid invoice, a loan to a friend, a deposit that wasn’t returned.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Written as you type
  • PDF, or posted for you

General information, not legal advice. These templates follow what Australian regulators, legal aid commissions and community legal centres publish, checked on 26 October 2026. They can’t know your situation. If a lot is at stake, or a deadline or court case is running, talk to a lawyer, your state’s legal aid commission or a community legal centre first. Unopost isn’t a law firm.

Your details

Printed at the top of the letter, and used as the return address if we post it.

So they can reply without posting a letter.

Who it’s to

A business’s registered or postal address is on its invoices, its website or ABN Lookup.

A business’s legal name is on its invoices or receipts.

What’s owed

Say what you supplied or lent and when. Stick to facts you can show.

If you’re not sure, give your best estimate. It decides whether the debt is still within the time limit, which is the one in the law that governs the debt, usually where the agreement was made.

Only claim interest if your contract or invoice terms allow it.

Home building disputes have their own process in most states.

Payment

Usually where they live or do business, or where the agreement was made.

Fourteen days is usual. In South Australia the template gives 28, so 21 days pass after it arrives.

Copies only: keep your originals.

About this letter

A letter of demand asks someone to pay what they owe by a set date, and says what you’ll do if they don’t. It’s often the last step before a court or tribunal claim, and courts expect you to have tried it. Many debts are paid at this point.

Answer the questions and the letter writes itself beside the form, naming the court or tribunal in their state that hears a claim of that size.

What makes it work

  • Use their correct legal name. For a business, that’s the name on its invoices or on ABN Lookup, not just its trading name.
  • Give a calendar date to pay by, not “within 14 days”. Fourteen days is common. In South Australia the template gives 28, so the 21 days the court’s rules ask for pass after the letter arrives.
  • For a rental bond, don’t use this letter: apply to your state’s bond authority, or to the tenancy tribunal if the landlord disputes it.
  • Say how to pay, so there’s no excuse for not paying.
  • Enclose copies of the invoice, quote, contract or messages that show the debt. Keep the originals.
  • Sign and date it, and keep a copy, along with the tracking record of when it was delivered. It may be evidence if you go to court.

What not to say

  • Don’t threaten anything you won’t do, or can’t lawfully do: police, criminal charges, seizing property, telling their employer or family, or listing them with a credit agency.
  • Don’t say court action has started when it hasn’t, and don’t make the letter look like a court document or a lawyer’s letter.
  • Don’t add fees or interest unless your agreement, or the law, allows them.
  • Don’t mark it “without prejudice”. That label is for settlement offers, and can stop the letter being used as evidence.
  • Keep the tone calm and factual. Insults and pressure can backfire, and repeated demands can amount to harassment.

If they don’t pay

  • Each state has a cheaper, simpler forum for small debts: the NSW Local Court Small Claims Division (up to $20,000), QCAT in Queensland, ACAT in the ACT and NTCAT in the Northern Territory (each up to $25,000), the Magistrates Court’s minor claims procedures in Western Australia (up to $10,000), South Australia (up to $12,000) and Tasmania (up to $15,000), and the Magistrates’ Court in Victoria, which refers claims under $10,000 to arbitration.
  • A state tribunal can’t decide a claim between people who live in different states; that goes to a court.
  • A claim for money is generally barred six years after the debt fell due or was last acknowledged or paid, and three years in the Northern Territory. If you’re close to that, get advice now.
  • Your state’s legal aid commission, a community legal centre or, for a business debt, your small business commissioner can help for free.

Questions

Is a letter of demand legally binding?

No. It’s a formal request, not a court order, and it doesn’t make anyone pay. It shows a court or tribunal that you gave them a fair chance to pay before you claimed, and many debts are paid once one arrives.

How long should I give them to pay?

Fourteen days is common, and the template lets you choose 7 to 28. In South Australia, the court’s rules ask for a Final Notice, or a letter of demand, and 21 days after it’s received before a minor civil claim, so the template defaults to 28 there.

Should I send a letter of demand by registered post?

It doesn’t have to be, but you may need to show it was received. Every letter we post is tracked, and signature on delivery records who received it: $16 by Registered post. Many people email a copy as well.

Do I need a lawyer to send a letter of demand?

No. Anyone can send one. A lawyer’s letter can carry more weight for a large or complicated debt, and your legal aid commission or a community legal centre can give free advice.

Can I charge interest on the debt?

Only if your contract or invoice terms allow it, though a court can award interest on a judgment. The template only mentions contractual interest if you say your agreement provides for it.

Where this comes from

Checked on 26 October 2026. Laws and limits change: check the source before you rely on a figure.

Other letters