NFPA Paralegal Core Competency Exam (PCCE)Legal Writing and CommunicationMedium
A paralegal is preparing a demand letter to an opposing party's attorney. The letter needs to be firm, professional, and clearly state the client's position without being overly aggressive or informal. Which of the following salutations is most appropriate for this type of legal correspondence?
- AGreetings,
- BDear Mr./Ms. [Attorney's Last Name],
- CHey [Attorney's First Name],
- DTo Whom It May Concern:
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Dear Mr./Ms. [Attorney's Last Name],
In formal legal correspondence between attorneys or to an attorney, the standard and most professional salutation is 'Dear Mr./Ms. [Attorney's Last Name]'. This maintains respect and formality required in such communications.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This is too informal and generic for a professional legal demand letter.
- C. This is highly informal and unprofessional for legal correspondence.
- D. This is used when the recipient's name is unknown, which is unlikely for opposing counsel, and is generally less personal for direct correspondence.
Formal Legal Salutation
The appropriate professional greeting used at the beginning of formal legal correspondence, typically addressing the recipient by title and last name.
- Essential for professionalism
- Maintains respectful tone
- Standard practice in legal field
Memory trick: Salutations Set the Standard.