Creative disputes are messy hybrids of contract law, IP ownership, safety issues, and reputation fallout. These tabs condense the full playbook into checklists you can skim in minutes before drafting a letter.
Creative projects fail differently than plain invoices – align your tactics.
Deliverable Drift
Define success in technical terms (frame rate, runtime, deliverable list). Arguments about “vibes” rarely win. If specs were never written, acknowledge ambiguity and focus on provable promises.
Layered Rights
Every project stacks copyrights and right-of-publicity interests. Money settlement may need to include who keeps raw footage, what portfolio use is allowed, and whether music/performances can appear elsewhere.
Screenshot Contracts
Email threads and DMs become the contract. Quote only the portions you can defend in court; do not rely on “we discussed this on the phone” unless you have follow-up confirmations.
Emotion vs. Narrative
Clients feel embarrassed; creatives feel disrespected. A demand letter translates that emotion into timeline + breach + remedy so the other side (and any mediator) can see the logic.
Fast question
Is the dispute about non-performance, partial delivery, or IP misuse? Everything else flows from that classification.
Do you actually have a contract? Almost always yes – but prove the terms.
Enforceability Basics
  • Capable parties + mutual consent + lawful purpose + consideration
  • Messages showing date, price, and deliverable satisfy “writing” for most disputes
  • Quote provisions you can live with if the judge reads them literally
Reading the Document
  • Courts read the agreement as a whole – conflicting clauses can hurt you
  • Revision and milestone clauses are leverage only when specific dates exist
  • If it’s all screenshots, organize them chronologically before you start writing
1.List the messages that form the offer (budget, scope, timeline).
2.Attach or reference payment confirmations tying back to those messages.
3.Note any legal clauses (IP transfer, arbitration, safety) that impact leverage.
Label the breach so the demand reads like a courtroom story.
Complete Non-Performance
Funds cleared but no shoot or deliverable ever happened. Demand typically equals full refund + documentable consequential losses (rental fees, talent cancellation, missed release).
Partial Delivery
Scenes shot, raw footage exists, but post stalled. Decide between firm completion deadline, transfer of raw assets, or refund portion that reflects unfinished work.
Defective Deliverable
Files miss explicit specs (wrong resolution, missing deliverables). For purely stylistic complaints, temper the demand and focus on objective issues.
Missed Deadlines
If release date was central, cite “time is of the essence.” Otherwise explain why the delay is unreasonable in this project context (promo run, booked venues, ad spend).
Persuasion = proof + timeline. Gather these before you send anything.
Agreement Materials
  • Contracts, order forms, accepted proposals
  • Emails/DMs confirming scope, budget, revisions
  • Change-order history mapped by date
Payment Trail
  • Invoices, PayPal/Stripe records, bank statements
  • Proof of chargebacks or refunds
  • Replacement costs or lost-opp math
Project File
  • Call sheets, permits, talent agreements
  • Edit drafts, review notes, delivered materials with timestamps
  • Proof you delivered stems/approvals the other side claims were missing
Communications & Safety
  • Full text/DM exports showing timeline
  • Incident log if harassment or unsafe behavior occurred
  • Existing restraining orders or police reports referenced factually
Damage math
List direct damages (fees paid/owed) and realistic consequential damages before drafting so your ask has a defensible anchor.
Address safety, publicity, and IP or the dispute will repeat.
Safety & Harassment
Refer to incidents with dates/locations. State that future contact must be in writing, cite any restraining orders, and keep accusations factual. This builds credibility if a court later reviews the letter.
IP & Portfolio Use
Footage owner retains copyright unless there is a work-for-hire or assignment. Talent keeps publicity rights. Settlements often trade payment for specific licenses (client finishes edit, creator keeps limited reel use, etc.).
Social Media Fallout
Identify harmful posts precisely and request removal plus mutual non-disparagement. Avoid threatening defamation unless statements are clearly false factual claims. Remember: anything you post can become Exhibit A.
Demand Letter Lab • Fill what you have, skip what you don’t. Live preview auto-highlights updates.