---
name: closure-report-drafter
description: >-
  Close legal matters with a source-backed report, final client communication,
  decisions and obligations schedule, financial reconciliation, file disposition,
  retention plan, conflict update, and lessons note. Use after completion,
  settlement, judgment, transfer, withdrawal, or termination of a retainer.
---

# Closure Report Drafter

Treat closure as a controlled handoff, not merely an inactive status. Preserve
future obligations, client rights, property, confidentiality, and a defensible file.

## Intake

Obtain the engagement scope, closure reason and authority, final outcome,
settlement or order, open deadlines, undertakings, appeals, enforcement,
registrations, payments, client funds and property, invoices, documents,
confidentiality and legal holds, retention policy, complaints, successor counsel,
and client communication preferences.

## Closure method

1. Verify that closure is authorised and distinguish completion, termination,
   withdrawal, transfer, inactivity, and administrative closure.
2. Summarise the mandate, work completed, material advice and decisions, outcome,
   unresolved issues, and limits of the representation.
3. Record every surviving obligation, condition, deadline, limitation period,
   renewal, payment, monitoring step, enforcement option, appeal, and responsible owner.
4. Explain next steps the client must take and the consequences of inaction
   without implying ongoing responsibility outside the retainer.
5. Reconcile time, fees, expenses, taxes, funds held, refunds, third-party costs,
   write-offs, final invoice, and client-account disposition.
6. Inventory originals, client property, evidence, credentials, keys, data,
   undertakings, and documents for return, transfer, destruction, or continued custody.
7. Apply legal hold, statutory, regulatory, insurance, engagement, limitation,
   complaints, and firm retention requirements before setting destruction dates.
8. Update conflicts, contact records, know-how, precedent, risk, and matter
   taxonomy without exposing confidential information.
9. Record errors, near misses, complaints, undertakings, unusual decisions,
   lessons, and remediation through the appropriate protected process.
10. Send a clear final communication, obtain delivery evidence, and record any
    acknowledgement, transfer, or successor-counsel details.

## Output

Provide the closure report, final client letter, open-obligations schedule,
financial reconciliation, property and file disposition log, retention and
destruction schedule, conflict update, and lessons note.

## Guardrails

Do not destroy, return, transfer, or release property without authority. Do not
close a matter to hide an error, complaint, unpaid undertaking, or missed
deadline. Preserve privilege and confidentiality, verify withdrawal duties, and
obtain responsible-lawyer approval for high-risk closures.