Cease and Desist Letter UK: How to Write and Send One
A cease and desist letter tells someone, in writing, to stop doing something that harms you. You do not need a solicitor to send one. Write your letter, and we print it and post it for you by Royal Mail, so you can prove the date it arrived.
Send your cease and desist letter by Royal Mail Tracked 24, from £8.99, so you can prove the date it arrived.
From £2.49 including printing and postage
- No printer or Post Office trip
- See the finished letter before you pay
- Order by 2.30pm for same-day posting
Quick Answer
- Legal status
- A letter, not a court order
- Solicitor needed
- No
- Harassment
- At least two occasions
- Harassment claim time limit
- 6 years
- Defamation claim time limit
- 1 year
These rules are for England and Wales. Scotland has its own harassment and defamation laws.
Where to Send It
Send your letter to the person or business doing the thing you want stopped. If the problem is a debt collector or a neighbour, we have letters made for that.
The person or business
Your letter asking them to stop.
Their home or business addressFor a company, you can use its registered office address, which you can look up for free on Companies House.
Write your letterA debt collector
Calls, letters or visits about a debt that feel like harassment.
The address on itslatest letter to youFCA rules say regulated debt collectors must not contact you at unreasonable times, and must pay due regard to reasonable requests about when, where and how they contact you.
Use our debt collector lettersA neighbour
Noise or other nuisance from next door.
Your neighbour, or theirlandlord or letting agentIf the noise carries on, your council can investigate it as a statutory nuisance.
Use our noise complaint letterChecked against legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK, the FCA Handbook and the Intellectual Property Office on 20 October 2026.
Why Send It With PostRight
Proof It Arrived
Choose Tracked 24 and you can see when your letter was delivered, with a photo on delivery. Useful when a deadline or reply time counts from the day it arrives.
No Printer, Envelope or Stamp
Type your letter or upload a PDF on any device. We print it, put it in the envelope and post it.
Posted Today
Order by 2.30pm on a working day and we post it the same day by Royal Mail.
How It Works
- 1Write your letterPress Write Your Letter and add the address. Say what they are doing, what you want them to stop and by when.
- 2Add your evidenceTo send screenshots or photos with your letter, upload your letter and your evidence together as one PDF.
- 3We print it and post itOrder by 2.30pm on a working day and we post it the same day by Royal Mail. Choose a tracked service for a record of when it arrived.
What a Cease and Desist Letter Is
A cease and desist letter is a written demand asking someone to stop doing something, such as harassing you, using your work without permission or saying untrue things about you. It is a letter, not a court order, so on its own it cannot make anyone stop.
What it does is put them on notice, in writing, on a date you can prove. If you go to court later, that letter shows you asked them to stop and when.
Do You Need a Solicitor?
No. Anyone can write and send a cease and desist letter. A solicitor can help if the matter is complex or high in value, or if you may need to ask a court for an injunction.
Harassment
Under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, harassment includes alarming a person or causing them distress, and it must happen on at least two occasions. It can be a crime, and you can also make a civil claim, usually within 6 years, for damages and an injunction. Breaking an injunction is a crime.
If you feel in danger, call 999. Otherwise you can report harassment to the police on 101.
Debt Collectors
Debt collectors regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority must not contact you at unreasonable times, and must pay due regard to reasonable requests about when, where and how they contact you. Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970 also makes it a criminal offence to harass someone with demands for payment of a debt owed under a contract, in a way calculated to cause alarm, distress or humiliation.
Trade Marks, Patents and Designs
Take care before threatening court action over a trade mark, patent or design. Under the Intellectual Property (Unjustified Threats) Act 2017, someone affected by an unjustified threat can often take the person who made it to court. The Act does not cover copyright.
Defamation
A statement is only defamatory if it has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm to your reputation. You usually have 1 year from when it was published to make a claim.
What to Put in Your Letter
Say who you are and what the person is doing, with dates and examples. Say exactly what you want them to stop, give a date to stop by, and say what you will do next if they do not. Stick to the facts, keep it calm and keep a copy.
If the Letter Does Not Work
A court can grant an injunction ordering the person to stop. If they are a partner, former partner or family member, you can apply for a non-molestation order, which has no court fee. Breaking a non-molestation order is a crime.
If You Get a Cease and Desist Letter
Do not ignore it. Read it carefully, note any deadline, keep all your evidence and take legal advice if the claim is serious or high in value.
More Ways to Send
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is a letter, not a court order, so on its own it cannot make anyone stop. It gives you a dated record that you asked them to stop, which can help if you go to court later.
Ask them to stop, in writing, today.
Write or upload your letter, choose your service at checkout, and we print it and post it by Royal Mail.