I received a lawyer's letter from one of my ex-clients (back when I was doing freelancing), demanding that I pay the fees of a new contractor that they're going to hire for a project which I did not complete previously.<p>Prior to this, I had already refunded the full deposit that was paid to me, for not completing the project.<p>It is an insane amount of money, and I do not know what to do now.
What you do now is get a lawyer.<p>Do not say one more word on the subject. Not in writing, not in public, not even to your friends over beers, until you get a lawyer. Think of it like the Miranda rule -- now that a legal dispute has arisen, anything you say can and will be used by them against you.<p>What you shouldn't do now is panic. They've sent you a letter demanding a large sum of money? Big deal, anyone can send a letter. It's not unusual for people to try to bully others by having their lawyer draft a letter full of scary-sounding language that, when parsed by a lawyer, actually says nothing. These people hope you will read the letter, panic, and do something stupid like trying to settle with them before talking to a lawyer.<p>Don't give them what they want. <i>Get a lawyer.</i>
The fact you refunded the deposit alone should clear you of any responsibility, both financially and work-wise. Smart move there.<p>Ultimately this comes down to your contract with them. You did have them agree to a contract detailing everything right??<p>Although some will say a contract is worth as much as the paper it's written on (or how much one is willing to pay a prosecutor) it's still smart to outline expectations from both sides before beginning work.<p>I'm curious though -- define "insane amount of money".<p>Also, what went wrong? Unmet expectations? Better offer come along? Burn out?
IANAL.. mainly depends on your original contract, and any strings attached to your refund.<p>Get an attorney, who'll probably advise you to seek an out of court settlement, if possible.
talk to a lawyer immediately. May be it is a mistake, may be they are trying to scare you or may be it is real. In any case, get a lawyer's advice before you take any action.