Several options are offered to you upon receipt of a formal notice:
- simply accept what you are asked to do or pay any amount claimed from you and, thus, put an end to the dispute between you;
- contact the person who sent you the formal notice or his or her legal advisor, if the formal notice was sent by such advisor, and explain why you do not agree with the allegations or claims that have been made against you. You can also, at that time, propose a negotiation or mediation session to avoid a lawsuit that would be lengthy and costly;
- contact the person who sent you the formal notice or, where applicable, his or her legal advisor, to tell him or her that you refuse to do what you are asked to do or pay any amount claimed from you and give the reasons for your decision;
- not respond to the received formal notice and simply wait to see what will happen, which could subsequently lead to a lawsuit against you.
In all cases, it is always best to consult with a legal advisor to better define your rights and obligations with respect to the received formal notice.