PLANNING YOUR LETTER

Clarity of expression comes from clarity of thought. Start by considering the overall purpose of your letter. Think about what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. Ask yourself these questions:

—What am I trying to say?

—Who am I trying to say it to?

—What do they need to know?

—What sort of tone should I adopt?

—What words will express what I am trying
to say?

—How will I structure what I am going to say?

—How can I divide my writing into
manageable sections?

—Could I make it shorter?

Paragraphs

Your letter should be divided into manageable sections using paragraphs. Paragraphs should not be defined by length. They are best treated as units of thought. In other words, each paragraph should deal with a single thought or topic. Begin a new paragraph when shifting to a new thought or topic.

Paragraphs should start with the main idea, and then deal with subordinate matters. The writing should move logically from one idea to the next. It should not dance about randomly between different ideas.

The paragraphs in legal letters are sometimes numbered, to break up the text and make individual paragraphs in the letter easier to refer to. Numbered paragraphs are more suitable in some types of legal correspondence than in others. They are particularly suitable in longer letters, for example, when i) outlining steps to be taken, or 2) enumerating different parts of a legal argument. They are less suitable when the letter is short and / or its content is largely descriptive or non-technical.

One-sentence paragraphs should not be used too often, but can be useful in certain circumstances.

Pay attention to the way the paragraphs look on the page. Text evenly divided into manageably sized paragraphs, with occasional shorter ones, looks inviting to the reader. Huge, unbroken sections of text are very off-putting to the reader and should be avoided. So, too, should untidy sequences of very short paragraphs.

First paragraph

The opening sentence or paragraph is important as it sets the tone of the letter and creates a first impression.

If you are replying to a previous letter, start by thanking your correspondent for their letter:

Thankyouforyourletterof5May2Oo6.

If you are writing to someone for the first time, use the first paragraph to introduce yourself, the subject of the letter, and why you are writing:

We act on behalf of Smith Holdings Ltd and write concerning the lease on 22 Fairfields Avenue, Farnley Trading Estate.

Middle paragraphs

The main part of your letter will concern the points that need to be made, answers you wish to give, or questions you want to ask. The exact nature of these will depend very much on the type of letter being written.

Final paragraph

At the end of your letter, if it is to a client or to a third party, you should indicate that you may be contacted if your correspondent requires further information or assistance. If appropriate, you might also indicate another person in your office who may be contacted if you are absent. For example:

Please do not hesitate to contact me, or my assistant, John Bowles, if you require any further information.

However, it is not usual to do this in a letter to another lawyer acting for another party in a case.

CLARITY

Once you have planned the basic structure of your letter, and know roughly what kinds of paragraphs you are going to need, clarity can be achieved by paying attention to the smaller units of writing that you will be creating - that is, the sentences and words.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 866