Law firm stationery: the anatomy of a practice suite

A law firm stationery suite usually covers business cards, first-page letterhead, continuation sheets, compliment slips, envelopes and presentation folders, on matched stocks and colours, with a Word template that agrees with the printed sheet. It carries engagement letters, advice and correspondence that may end up in a court book, so consistency matters: no four slightly different blues and no old office address.

This guide sets out the pieces most practices need, how they relate to each other, and how to plan quantities and reorders so nobody is photocopying letterhead on a Friday afternoon.

What pieces does a law firm stationery suite include?

A law firm stationery suite usually includes business cards, first-page letterhead, a continuation sheet, compliment slips, envelopes and presentation folders, with file notes as an option.

Business cards. One design, many names. Each card carries the person's name, title, direct line, mobile and email, plus the firm's details. In Queensland, the Law Society has published guidance on whose details can appear on letterhead, emails and business cards, including care with titles for staff who do not hold a practising certificate. Treat titles as content to be checked by the practice, not by the designer.

First-page letterhead. The A4 sheet that opens every letter. It holds the firm name, logo, street and postal addresses, phone, email, website and the identifiers your structure requires, such as an ACN or ABN for an incorporated legal practice. Our separate guide covers what must be on a company letterhead. If the firm participates in a professional standards scheme, the scheme's disclosure line belongs here too, and we cover that in the professional standards scheme guide.

Continuation sheet. Pages two onward. It usually carries only the logo or firm name in a smaller form, sometimes a footer with the website. Keeping the busy address block off later pages gives the letter body more room and avoids repeating detail. The continuation sheet should use the same stock as the first page so a multi-page letter feels like one document.

Compliment slips. A DL slip (99 x 210mm, a third of an A4) for sending documents without a full letter: "enclosed for signing", "for your records". It is a courtesy note, not a substitute for a cover letter. Where a document needs instructions, a deadline or advice about what to do next, send a cover letter; where it simply accompanies something the client is expecting, a slip is enough.

Envelopes. Three sizes cover nearly everything. DL (110 x 220mm) takes an A4 letter folded in thirds. C5 (162 x 229mm) takes A4 folded once, often used for short documents you would rather not crease twice. C4 (229 x 324mm) takes A4 flat, which matters for documents that will be signed, scanned or filed. Under Australia Post's size rules, a DL is a small letter, while C5 and C4 are large letters with their own weight steps, so the envelope you choose changes the postage. Window faces suit firms that print the address on the letter itself.

Presentation folders. An A4 folder with pockets and a card slit, used for engagement packs, settlement packs, wills and estate documents, and tender responses. A folder is often the first physical object a new client is handed, so it tends to be the piece where firms choose a heavier board or a foil detail. Our presentation folders guide covers construction in detail.

File notes and notepads. Optional, but useful. A pad printed with the firm name and fields for matter number, date, attendees and time recorded makes handwritten attendance notes easier to scan and file. Keep the design simple and print in one or two colours.

Does a law firm still need printed letterhead if it uses Word templates?

Yes. A law firm that sends letters from Word templates still needs pre-printed letterhead for signed originals and anything posted. Most firms now generate letters from a Word or document management template and send them as PDFs. That does not remove the need for printed stock; it changes the job each one does.

• The digital template handles everyday correspondence. Use Word's "different first page" setting so page one carries the full letterhead and later pages carry the continuation header. Embed the logo as a high-resolution image or, better, a vector, and lock the header so staff cannot nudge it.
• Pre-printed letterhead is fed into the office printer for signed originals and anything posted. The body text is printed over it, so the printed areas and the template's margins must agree to the millimetre. A common fault is a template whose top margin was set for plain paper, so the first line of the letter sits on top of the logo.
• Match the colour. Screens show RGB, printed stationery is CMYK or a Pantone ink, and office printers do their own thing. Choose the brand colour values once, record them, and have both the template and the print files use them. A brand colour match is worth doing when the firm's colour is distinctive.

If you keep both, print a template page onto a sheet of the pre-printed stock before approving a reorder. It takes five minutes and catches most alignment problems.

Which stock should a law firm use across its stationery suite?

A law firm's letterhead, continuation sheet and compliment slips should share one stock. For a firm that prints letters in-house, that stock must be laser safe, meaning it and its printed inks tolerate the heat of a laser printer's fuser without smudging, curling or offsetting. A 100gsm uncoated laser-safe stock is the practical default; 120gsm and cotton papers feel more substantial but need a printer test first. Our letterhead paper weight guide goes through the trade-offs.

Cards and folders sit on heavier boards, but the colour and typography should carry across. If the letterhead is uncoated and the cards are soft-touch laminated, the same ink will look slightly different on each; a person checking the proofs side by side will see it, so it is better decided in advance than discovered on delivery.

How much stationery does a law practice need each year?

Stationery usage in a law practice varies widely with practice area. A litigation or conveyancing practice posts far more than an advisory practice that works almost entirely by email. As a starting point for planning, not a rule:

• Business cards: 250 to 500 per fee earner a year, fewer for support staff. Order per name.
• Letterhead: roughly 1,000 sheets a year for a small practice that mostly emails, more if you post originals regularly. Continuation sheets are usually needed at around half the rate of first pages.
• Compliment slips: 500 lasts most small firms a year or more.
• Envelopes: DL in the largest number; C4 in smaller runs for signed originals.
• Presentation folders: 250 is a sensible first run for most firms, because they are bulky to store and the design may change with the next rebrand.

Larger runs lower the cost per piece, but stationery that changes (a new partner, a new address, a scheme renewal) is wasted if you over-order. For variable items, a mid-sized run with a planned reorder is usually more economical than one large one.

How should a law firm manage stationery reorders?

Three habits keep a law firm's stationery reorders under control:

1. Keep one master set of artwork. Store the approved print files and a written record of stocks, colours and quantities. Every reorder should start from the last approved file, not a PDF someone found in an email.
2. Reorder before you run out. Set a reorder point, say when the last box of letterhead is opened, and allow for proofing plus print time.
3. Check the details at every reorder. Names, titles, admission details, addresses, ABN or ACN and any scheme line can change between runs. Professional standards schemes in particular have fixed terms, and a scheme line should not be printed after the scheme ends.

This article is general information, not legal advice. The practice is responsible for the content of its stationery; we flag anything that looks missing but do not decide what the law requires.

What does a law firm stationery suite cost?

The Proof & Print Practice Suite brings the core pieces together: 500 business cards, 1,000 letterheads, 500 compliment slips, 500 DL envelopes and 250 presentation folders for $3,195 inc GST, against $3,430 if bought separately. Individual items start with letterheads from $385 and presentation folders from $1,220. Every file is checked by a person against our written proof checklist, including a check that sector details such as an ABN, ACN or scheme line are where you would expect them, and nothing prints until you approve the proof. See how we work with legal and professional practices.