For any attorney taking on a new client or new matter, before any work starts.
An engagement letter is the written agreement that defines the scope of representation, the fee arrangement, and what's explicitly excluded — it's what governs the relationship if a dispute over scope or fees comes up later.
For a solo without a partner reviewing intake, the engagement letter is the only document standing between a scope disagreement and a fee dispute, or a bar complaint, six months in. Vague scope language is the single most common gap.
A client hires you for 'the divorce.' Without a clear scope clause, they may reasonably expect that fee to also cover a later custody modification — a fight worth avoiding in writing up front, not after the invoice.
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