What do I have to write in a formal notice?
Short answer
In Quebec, a formal notice (mise en demeure) must be written as a letter and must include, among other things, the words “WITHOUT PREJUDICE” (SOUS TOUTES RÉSERVES) and the expression “formal notice” (mise en demeure) in the body of the text, as well as a deadline to correct the situation.
In detail
The Gouvernement du Québec describes a letter, not a form: you can write it yourself or have a lawyer do it. Two mentions are expressly named — “WITHOUT PREJUDICE” (SOUS TOUTES RÉSERVES), which protects you from what you write in the letter, and the expression “formal notice” (mise en demeure) in the body of the text, which clearly identifies the nature of the step you are taking.
The letter asks the person concerned to correct the situation and must set a deadline, for example a period of 10 days. It is that deadline, once it has expired, that opens the door to filing an application at the courthouse.
The rest is a matter of clarity: who owes what, why, since when, and exactly how much is being claimed. A vague formal notice forces you to explain everything again later; a formal notice that is dated and gives figures becomes an exhibit in the file.
What to document
A complete copy of the letter you sent, exactly as it was sent. Also note the facts it relies on, with their dates, and the documents it refers to (invoice, contract, photos): those are what you will be asked for again when you file.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
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Official sources
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What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.