Cease & Desist Letter Format
A cease and desist letter follows a standard business-letter format. Here's what each part is for, followed by a fully formatted example you can model.
June 22, 2026
C&DSeal
Re: Cease & Desist — Harassment
To Whom It May Concern,
This letter serves as formal notice that you must immediately cease and desist all conduct described below directed toward the undersigned.
You are hereby demanded to stop this conduct entirely. You have 14 days from the date of this letter to comply…
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Generate a custom letterThe parts of the letter, in order
Start with your name and address, then the date, then the recipient's name and address — the standard heading of any formal letter. Below that, a short RE line states the subject, for example “RE: Cease and Desist — Harassment.”
The body opens by formally demanding the recipient stop, describes the conduct with specifics, sets a clear deadline to comply, and notes what you'll do if they don't. It closes with “Sincerely,” and your signature and printed name.
Formatting that keeps it professional
Use a plain serif font, single spacing within paragraphs and a blank line between them, and one-inch margins on letter-size paper. Keep it to one page where you can.
Leave the date and any unknown detail as a bracketed placeholder until you finalize it. Don't bold or highlight large blocks — a clean, restrained layout reads as more credible.
Full format
A complete cease and desist letter
A realistic, fictional letter shown to illustrate the structure and tone.
Jordan Avery 412 Linden Avenue Columbus, OH 43215 June 26, 2026 TO: Casey Morgan 88 Maple Court Columbus, OH 43201 RE: CEASE AND DESIST — HARASSMENT To Whom It May Concern, This letter serves as formal notice that you must immediately CEASE AND DESIST all conduct constituting harassment directed toward Jordan Avery. Specifically: Since March 2026 you have repeatedly called and texted me late at night, shown up uninvited at my home on at least four occasions, and made comments that have caused me genuine alarm. This demand is supported by the following: call logs dated March 3–April 18, 2026, two text-message threads, and a witness who saw you at my door on April 9 I hereby demand that you immediately cease and refrain from the following: all contact by phone, text, email, or in person, and from coming within 100 feet of my home or workplace. You have 10 days from the date of this letter to comply. Should you fail to comply, I will seek a protective order and report the conduct to law enforcement, and I am prepared to pursue all available legal remedies. Sincerely, Jordan Avery
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Harassment
Stop unwanted contact, threats, and intimidation from another person.
Defamation
Demand someone retract false statements harming your reputation.
Trademark
Tell another party to stop using your protected mark or brand.
Copyright
Demand removal of content that infringes your copyrighted work.
Debt collector
Stop unlawful or repeated contact from a debt collector.
Slander
Stop someone spreading damaging false spoken statements about you.
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