THE LAYOUT OF A LETTER Exercise 4 {Look at the layout ofthe lettor below. This layout s used when you are writing a lettar on 2 blank sheet of paper. identify these parts: «© The salutation © The body of the letter © Recipient's details © The date © Printed signature block © Sender's address © The complimentary close» The signature ‘© Subject line Notes to remember ‘Sender's address: you don't need tv include your name here, just your address. Recipient: thisis the person you are writing to. Recipient's details: you should include the person's name, job ttle and address, or as many of these details as you know.Exercise 2 {Look atthe layout ofthe letter below. Ths layout Is used whan you are waiting a Jtter using your avn ‘headed paper, or your company’s headed paper. Identify these parts: © The salutation © The body of the letter © Subject fine © The date © The signature © Printed signature block © The lettorhoad ‘© Rocipiont’s details © The complimentary close» Reference Notes to remember Letteread: this is already printed on the paper. Recipient’ details: you should include the name, ja ttle and address, or as meny of these details as you know.DATES Dates can lead to problems. There isn’t a right or wrong way of writing the date — you can choose the style that you prefer. But you must remember that American writers write the date with the month first, then the day, thon the yoar. English writers put the day fire, then the month, then the year. Us — MADDY UK—DD/VIMYY So for example, lot's say that today’s date is 8 May 20%. This can cause a lot of confusion when using abbrevated dates: US-MNVDDYY —_03.08.Xx UK-DOIMMYY 08.08% They are both the same date, but they look completely different, Exercise 1 Look at the following ways this date (8 May 20XX) can be written and decide whether it has been written in the American format (US) or the Engjish format (UK). a 8/5/20 us UK b 05/08 us uK © May 08, 20x us uK d_ 08/057x us uk © 05.08.20 us uk f 08 May Xx us uK & 8th May 20% us uK fh May 8th, 20xx us uk 4B May 20% us uK J 08,05.20xx us uk Kk May 8th 20% us uK All of them are exactly the same date but if you don't know that the US and UK have different ways of ‘writing then problems may occur. Our advice to you is to always write the name of the month in full. For example, 8 May 20XX. Abbreviated dates can cause real contusion. In the UK, the modern format of wnting dates no longer includes any punctuation. For example, modern vriters put 8 May 20XX instead of Bth May, 20KX.SALUTATIONS This isthe part of the Jeter that always starts with the word ‘Dear. This should be the easiest part of your letter ut often causes real problems, Rules ‘You must learn thase rules to make sure that you use the correct salutation. Recipient Salutation Alaw fim, company or insttution Dear St or Madam Dear Sirs He nr ete | NANA AN ese ‘Woman, namo unknown Doar Madam A person, name and sex unknown Dear Sir or Madam ‘Man, name known mn Dear Mr Thortey_ Woman, name known, maried* Dear Mrs Ratciitte NT Woman, name known, snge* I Women, name known, martalstatus unkrown* ear MS Pinto Maried or unmarried couple, name unknown Dear Sir and Medam| Mared couple, name known ANT TANANNAA Dear Mr and Mrs Gerkson Unmarried couple, names known Dear Mr Re andl Ms MattneNs 2 men, names unknown Dear Sis 2women,ramesuninown SSC Madame ‘Apotson, name and particular ttle krown Dear Dr Gregson | Dear Judge Fox Dear Professor Sivostri [ Friend or cotleague i feserasess MINN *A warning about wnting to women! The use of Mrs, Ms and Miss itis sometimes difcutt to know how to address a woman. You have-to think apout the person you are \woting to. Unfortunately there are no exact rules about this. Many married women like to be adcressad as [Mrs (Name). However, it's not correct to assume that you can use this tile for all woman. Single women ‘may be offended by this. Aso, itis often the case that worren qualify as lawyers or in some other profession under thair maiden name (that is the name they used bafore getting martied) and continue to practise under this name, although they use their married name outside their professional life. So, a woman may be Ms Carruthers at work and Mrs Marston in her private life. Similery, it's wrong to use Miss for ell wornen as ths is thought by many women to be unsuitable for their ‘age and status. The modem tite of Ms isthe preferted form of address by many women in the UK and the USA end is a safe for of tte to use if you don't Know much about the recipient.L American English ‘American Engi follows the sare rules as ‘above, but when wiiung to a law firm or ‘company, the salutation ‘Gentlemen: is often Used. if you use this, do not put ‘ear’ before: “Gentlemens” Gentlemen: Dear Gentiernen Email language tiles (but not after Miss), like thi ‘American English includes @ period, which is ‘called a ful slop in British Engish, arter most Dear Mr. Adams Dear Mrs. Berkely Dear Ms. Reauld Dear Prot. Hicks Dear Dr. Cains Dear Miss Kingston ‘Your fist email to @ person should folow the salutation rules that you have leaned. After that, if you ‘are having an email conversation, you don't need to continue using a salutation as it $ rot necessary end sounds unnecesserly formal, In some countries the salutation ‘Dear Colleagues’ is used when waiting to a law firm. However, ‘don't use ‘Dear Colleagues’ when wnting 6 fora letier to UK recipients because ft Snot ‘considered to be acceptable. You can use this in an email f you want to, a5 itis more informal Exoreiso 4 Wit the correct salutation to start your lator to each of the following recipiont. Example: John Smith (@ new client) Dear MeSmith ‘a. Deborah Slater (a new client ~ you don't know it she is mammied) Dear b_ Lone and Steele solicitors (you don't know ‘which solicitor is going to be dealing with this case) Dear (© Mattheis Schmit (a familia clent ~ you are (on good terms with rim) Dear 4. Maria Gabanna (a lawyerin America) Dear Rebecea Wallis and Patrick Donaghue (new clients, brother and sister) Dear t ‘Martin Barley (a doctor) Dear RSGK Bank ple (you want to write to their egal epartment) Dear The ToolHire Company (you want to write to its ‘Managing Director) Dear Jeremy and Patra Simpson (naw clients, they are a mamnied couple) Dear Bella Robson (you now she is married and she ‘sas her married name) Dear Ovner of Links Ltd (you know it's 2 woran, but you don’t know anything else about her) DearCOMPLIMENTARY CLOSE leis important that you match the complimentary close with the salutetion that you use. Rules You must learn these rules to make sure you use the correct close to your letter. An easy way of remembering Is to check if you are using the recipient's name. If you are, you must endl with ‘Yours sincerely. Ifyou don’t know the recipiont’s namo, you havo to end with ‘Yours faithfully’ Salutation Complimentary close Dear Sis Yours faiitaly Dear Sir or Madam | Dear Sir Yours faithfully Dear Wada Yours fatty Dear Sr or Madam Yours fatal | dorsrawoan Yeu ay Dear Mesdames Yours faithfully | Dearie Thorey Yours croeraly Dears Ratcte Yours sincerely ie oe Doar Me Pinto Yours sincerely | beara is iron Yours sresy Dear Mr Rice and Ms Matthews ‘Yours sincerely | bericaoaen Gia | Deariuage Fox Yours sine Dear Professor Sitvestri Yours sincerely | Dear Alison Yours sincerely Eeorcles 4 Write tne comect comalimentary close to end your letter to each of the following recipients. Remember, if ‘you Anow their name you need to end “Yours sincerely’ Ifyou don't know their name, you must end "Yours faithfully. Example: Dear Nr'smth @ Deer Ms Gabanna Nh Dear Judge Barley Yours singecely _ a Dear Ms Slater @ Deer Sir i Dear Madam b Dear Sir or Madam Dear Sirs Dear Mattheis & Dear Mr and Mrs SimpsonAmerican English In Americon English the clase te the letter often © Formal Yours truly, Truly yours, Very truy depends on how formal the letter 's. yours © Loss formal/more porsonal - Yours © Very formal — Respectfully yours, Yours respectiuly sincerely, Sincerely yours, Sincerely Email language You don't need to use such 2 formal way of © Kind regards ending your email. Polte, acceptable ways of «Regards closing your email are: é ection REFERENCES What's a reference? ‘Most law firms include a reference on their letters so that they can quickly and easily identify te lawyer dealing with that particular matter and the corresponding fie. For example, Riecardo Calli may use his initials and a number to identify his files like this: Re 112 Ro 113 {In his correspondence with other lawyers he will include his reference like this: My ref: RC 112 Thi wil usualy appear undor the date block in the lottor. Ifyou receive a letter from & lawyer which states a roforence you must remember to use this on your roply. You can also include your own refetence. Let's say that Francesca Sanitta is replying to Riccardo. The. references on her letter might look like this: Your tef: RC112 My ref: FS3.48‘THE BODY OF THE LETTER Read tese questions and answers and try to memorse the infomation. © Why are you writing this lettor? \What is the purpose of your letter? You should think about this throughout your letter and make sure that tis clear to the person who will read your lettor. ‘© Am | using the appropriate style and language for the recipient? [Always think about the person who is going to be reeding your letter. Tho ‘rogicter' of the lettoris ‘portant. Register means the tone and grade of language. If you are wrting to another lawyer, the register of your letter willbe diferent to ¢ letter you are writing to a client who has no legal knoweedge at all, Whatever style you choose for your letter, you must remember to use the same style throughout the letter. Don't mix the style in the same letter, as this is confusing, Be consistent. We will lok at register In more detail ater in this unit, © Have | included the right amount of detail? ‘Again, think about the person who will be reading the letter. Ifyou are writing to a client with no legal knowledge, you wil need to explain ary legal vocabulary that you use. You should not need to do this if you are writing to another lawyer. © Is all the information relevant, accurate and clear? If you are wnting a letter of advios, check whether you have covered all the main points. Have you answered ary questions that have been raised? Your letler stiould be clear and unambiguous. Don't Include a lot of unimportant details. ‘Am | using the appropriate tone? For example, is the letter friendly, formal, helpful, forceful? This is another part of register. in the seme way as you use different tones of voice when you speak to. someone, depending on whether you are pleased, angry, disappointed, informative etc, so the tone of your letters will vary. You have to make sure that you are using the right tone for the purpose of your letter. © Have | set out my letter in short, concise blocks? if you just waite one or two long blocks of information, this is difficult to read. It is much better to divide the information into short paragraphs, with one main Idea to each paragraph. ® Am | using a logical order of sentences and paragraphs? ‘You need to check that there 1s 2 natural flow throughout the letter. There should be logical ines ‘between the sentences and paragraphs. © Are my sentences the right length? if your sontonces are too long, the reader will [ose some of the detail. You should aim to use a maximum of 25 words in each sentence. Have | used accurate grammar and punctuation? Remember to check your letter carefully before [tis sent. Accuracy is very important for lawyers. Look for poling rors, cortect uso of propositions, accurate tenses. Its very important in a formal loter not to uso contractions or short forms, for example. Im, dont, ist, etc. Always write the two senarate words in ful. Kim x Dont * Don't x We 7 tam ¥ Do not f Didnot ¥ Ihave Remember this 0s @ checkiist for your letter: Pups | Regs To hep you remember your chit | ose Pepi Rly rer Ersage | Clarity PROCALL Alter Losing Litigation! secuery ) ‘ze Length |