Legal Office Correspondence

• Author: Tina Kamakaris/Jane Kamakaris/Louis Kamakaris
• Pages: 55-64

55

Chapter 5 Legal Office Correspondence

CHAPTER 5

LEGAL OFFICE

CORRESPONDENCE

is chapter covers legal correspondence and letter styles as used in practice and also includes a

guide to addressing government and judicial ocials.

LETTER STYLES

Letters are like shoes—they deliver the message in a variety of styles. A letter style is the form in

which the information in a letter is arranged on paper. Legal correspondence follows the same

letter styles as those used in non-legal businesses. ree commonly used letter styles are:

Full block (also referred to as block), Precedent 5.1

Block (also known as modied block), Precedent 5.2

Semiblock (also known as modied block with indented paragraphs), Precedent 5.3

For guidelines on how to write, or compose, eective legal letters, memos, reports, and presenta-

tions as well as how to punctuate your composition, see Chapter 4.

About letters e salutation and complimentary closing of letters are punctuated in one of

these styles:

Mixed punctuation which requires a colon following the salutation (Dear Sir:) and a

comma following the complimentary closing (Yours truly,).

Open punctuation which requires no punctuation at these two points.

Set-up of letters Letters are usually keyed on 8 ½ 3 11” law rm letterhead, as shown in

Precedents 5.1 to 5.3. Computer software pre-sets letter styles to law rm preferences. In the

absence of it, follow these guidelines for all letter styles:

1. Set a minimum of 25 mm (one inch) left and right margins.

2. Key in the date as many or as few line spaces below your rm’s letterhead as are necessary to

place the letter attractively on the rm’s letterhead.

3. Leave a double space between the date and the inside address, three or four line spaces in the

signature block, and a double space between all other letter parts and paragraphs.

Legal TIP

Mixed and open

punctuation are

styles that apply

only to salutations

and complimentary

closings. The body of

letters follows standard

punctuation rules (set

out in Chapter 4).

Legal TIP

The Translation Bureau

of Canada recommends

gender-inclusive writing,

particularly where the

gender of individuals

is unknown, e.g. A

taxpayer said they

filed their tax returns.

Courtesy titles such

as Mr., Mrs., Ms. may

be omitted in inside

addresses, envelopes,

and salutations, e.g.

Dear John R. Smith.

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