Lol I'm a real life lawyer, I'm familiar with how this works, and very familiar with the rules of professional responsibility. So I'll just lay it out for you. No demand letter I have ever written has gone out without my client first reviewing and approving it. I don't need my clients consent for every communication (e.g., if I'm going back and forth with opposing counsel on something, I'm not getting the client's signoff on each email), but at the very least the client is aware of and has approved the strategy I am engaging in and whatever means I'm using to do it. But a demand letter absolutely gets client approval first. Beyond that, i would never contact any person or entity on my clients behalf without their express permission.

The simple fact is no lawyer just does things, particularly not send demand letters, cause they feel like it. Lawyers are agents of their clients, we do what we are asked to do (provided it's legal), nothing more nothing less. The client is the boss, the lawyer is a servant. The lawyer doesn't just do shit on their own.

And all communications must be truthful. Period. Now you can exaggerate for tactical advantage or to press a negotiation. Maybe her lawyer coached a useful answer out of her ("would you say that account posting your flights is causing you stress?") But you absolutely cannot just make up an injury to a client they didn't at least suggest they might have. It doesn't matter if it's a complaint, a demand letter, an email, or a Christmas card. Lawyers cannot just make shit up out of whole cloth.

Now, dem are da rules. Does everybody always follow them exactly? Usually yes, actually. I work with a lot of lawyers, and I've been on the opposite side of some real shitheads. But I can count on one hand the times I've suspected opposing counsel of breaking a rule, including dishonesty. Once actually, there was one time, in my 8 years of practice. I'm sure some scumbags do exist. But Swift is paying top dollar for a respected firm, and they will not risk their licenses or reputation on engaging in some free wheeling strategy to threaten some kid who is already internet famous for this exact thing without the clients explicit consent, especially not by making up emotional distress on behalf of Swift without consulting her first. It's just not going to happen.