Bringing Peace to E-mail

About six months ago, I changed my e-mail sign-off. This may seem like a trivial thing that many people wouldn't notice, but sometimes the small details about how you manage your practice have a big impact.

After reading an article entitled 57 Ways to Sign Off an Email, I decided to change my e-mail sign-off from the formal "very truly yours." "Very truly yours" was an e-mail sign-off I never thought about until I read this article. It was just part of my signature on letters, and therefore e-mails as well. It came from a partner at the first firm I worked at, and I never thought about what it said about me or my brand. It didn't mean that I was "true" or "yours". It just meant "this is the end of the e-mail."

When I decided to make the e-mail sign-off my own, it went from something trivial to something I obsessed about. How could I convey "who am I" in one to three words at the end of an e-mail? I worried about being too informal or too formal. I worried about whether one sign-off could fit clients, vendors, and colleagues. But when I focused on what my firm brand was about, only one option seemed right.

Ultimately, I decided to end all of my e-mails with: Peace ☮, and it changed more than just my e-mails.

As as a mediator and attorney I have cases where I am in an advocate role and cases where I am in a neutral role. In either role, my goal is always to help bring peace to people's lives. When writing an e-mail in an advocacy role, however, it can be very tempting to be forceful or aggressive. I wrote about this temptation in a previous post: Are Divorce Lawyers regularly violating the Civility Guidelines? But now, if I draft an e-mail, when I get to the end I ask myself, every time, "does this e-mail really promote Peace ☮?" If the answer is no and my sign-off doesn't fit the e-mail content, then is it really an e-mail I want to send?

If the purpose of every communication I have is really to bring peace to my clients, then I should be asking myself that question at the end of every e-mail. Making what initially seemed like a small change, became an every day reminder of who I want to be as an attorney and a mediator.

What is your e-mail sign-off and what does it say about you? Please share your sign-off or your opinion of my new sign-off in the comments below.

Comments

2024 U.S. Presidential Party Platforms - What are the policy positions that could affect families?

While the laws that affect family formation, marriage and divorce are often made at the state level, there are also many policies and laws at the federal level that affect families and children. Just some examples from recent years that have impacted families in my mediation practice include changes to the federal tax laws (such as the elimination of the alimony tax deduction ) and U.S. Supreme Court rulings on same sex marriage and reproductive health rights. In just over a month, the United States presidential election will have a significant impact on these federal policies going forward, and could choose the next appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court as well. In 2016 and 2020 we shared what each presidential platform said about families and policy regarding family formation and dissolution, and below we'll provide you an update on the 2024 presidential platforms. As Maya Angelou said, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."...

Updating your Divorce Agreement Template - More Lessons from Cavanagh v. Cavanagh

We recently posted a lengthy review of the the Massachusetts SJC decision in Cavanagh v. Cavanagh (2002) which included some recommendations for drafting divorce agreements, also typically called Separation Agreements. The Cavanagh case is best known for it's clarification of how the courts should evaluate support calculations when a case may have both alimony and child support. However, the case also contained numerous rulings that should make practitioners review their Separation Agreement templates and change some of the ways in which they may have previously drafted certain sections. In this post we'll share actual language from the Gray Jay Endeavors, LLC form Separation Agreement template which addresses each of the issues raised by the Cavanagh decision. If you are a professional interested in purchasing the full Separation Agreement template, check out Gray Jay's forms subscription which includes editable Massachusetts court forms and financial st...

Massachusetts Family Court Financial Statement - Instructions & Best Practices

During a divorce, or other case in the Massachusetts Probate & Family Court that involves your finances, such as a child support case, you will likely be required to file a court form Financial Statement. In Massachusetts there are two versions of this form: a "short form" if your income is under $75,000 and a "long form" if your income is $75,000 or more. Many people find these forms confusing and we've compiled a list of helpful information for filling them out. First , to access the forms, the court has provided pdf or online versions here: Massachusetts Rule 401 Short Form Financial Statement (pdf) Massachusetts Rule 401 Long Form Financial Statement (pdf) There are also some basic instructions provided by the court explaining the sections of the forms and providing access to a Schedule A (for self-employed people) and Schedule B (for rental income): Massachusetts Rule 401 Short Form Financial Statement Basic Instructions Massachusetts Rule 401 Long F...

Search This Blog