Law Society of Saskatchewan
Find Legal AssistanceMember ProfileMember ResourcesContact
  • 0
    Cart
  • My Account
  • About Us
      • Latest News
      • New Journal Issues – May 2023
      • Law Society 2022 Annual Report and Financial Statements
      • Family Law Help Session Volunteers Needed
      • News
        • Legal Sourcery
        • Podcast
        • ReSource
        • Videos
        • Benchers’ Digest
        • Case Mail
      • Mission and Values
      • Committees and Task Forces
      • Convocation
      • Benchers
        • Bencher Election 2018
        • Bencher Election 2021
      • Annual and Financial Reports
      • Contact Us
  • Initiatives
    • Initiatives
      The Law Society is seeking to identify legal service providers for new initiatives. This unique approach, the first of its kind in Canada, enables the Law Society to expand access to appropriately regulated legal services in a responsible and sustainable manner. The overall goal is to balance the need for enhanced access to legal services for underserved Saskatchewan citizens while ensuring public protection. For more information, click below. Consultation
      • Access to Justice
        • Future of Legal Services Initiative
          • The Limited Licensing Pilot
        • Limited Scope Legal Services – Information for the Public
        • Limited Scope Legal Services – Information for Lawyers
        • Canada’s Access to Justice Week
      • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
        • Equity Office
      • Legal Information
        • Legal Information Guidelines
        • Saskatchewan Access to Legal Information
      • Innovating Regulation
      • Truth and Reconciliation
        • Additional Resources
        • Notice to Day School Survivors
      • Saskatchewan Justicia Project
  • Regulation
    • Remote Executing Of Certain Documents And Remote Witnessing Of Wills By Electronic Means Legislation Now Permanent
      We are happy to announce that today, the Government of Saskatchewan repealed the temporary emergency regulations related to remote execution of certain documents and wills and replaced those regulations with permanent regulations allowing for remote execution of documents via electronic means (i.e. video calls) to continue long-term beyond the end of the public emergency period. Practice Directives
      • Definition of the Practice of Law and Unauthorized Practice of Law
      • Firm Regulation
        • Designated Representative (DR) Hub
      • Act, Code and Rules
        • The Legal Profession Act, 1990
        • Code of Professional Conduct and Amendments
        • Law Society Rules, Amendments and Practice Directives
        • Rules Concordance – Read More
      • Hearings, Decisions and Rulings
        • Hearing Committee Adjudicator Roster
        • Pending Discipline Matters
        • Discipline Decisions
        • Conduct Review Database
        • Ethics Rulings Database
        • Pending Admissions and Education Matters
        • Admissions and Education Decisions
        • Disqualification and Reinstatement
      • Lawyers with Practice Conditions/Restrictions
      • Lawyer Trusteeships and Successors
      • Potential Complaint Outcomes
        • Ethics Committee
        • Competency Committee
        • Conduct Investigation Committee
  • Public
    • New Law Society Complaint Form
      The goal is to assist and encourage complainants to provide clear and concise descriptions of their concerns, and reduce confusion by removing technical terms that may not be fully understood by members of the general public (i.e.: “conflict of interest”). Complaint Form
      • Finding Legal Assistance
      • Find Legal Assistance Search Guidance
      • Get Legal Information, Resources, and Options for Assistance
      • What to Expect From Your Lawyer
      • Looking For Lost Wills
      • Making a Complaint
        • Complaints Process
      • Common Client Concerns
        • Understanding Lawyers’ Fees
        • Quality of Service
        • Conflict of Interest
        • Confidentiality
        • Withdrawal
        • File Transfers
      • Common Client Concerns
        • Role of an Estate’s Lawyer
        • Role of Opposing Lawyer
        • Breach of Trust Conditions/Undertakings
        • Lawyer’s Conduct in Court
        • Lawyer’s Outside Interests
  • Lawyers and Students
    • Career and Volunteer Opportunities
      • Becoming a Lawyer in Saskatchewan
        • Students-at-law
        • Transfer Lawyers
        • International Applicants
      • Becoming a Principal
      • Career And Volunteer Opportunities
        • Students Seeking Articles
      • Membership Services
        • Member Renewal Hub
      • Awards, Bursaries, Scholarships
      • Consultation
      • Locum Registry
      • Expanded Practice Advisor Program
      • Forms and Fees
        • Law Society Forms
        • Trust Account Forms
      • Western Conveyancing Protocol
        • Protocol for Saskatchewan
      • Practice Resources
        • General Resources
        • Queen’s Bench Rules
      • Health and Wellness
      • Pro Bono Legal Services
  • Legal Resources
  • CPD
    • Continuing Professional Development
      • CPD Activities
        • CPD Calendar of Activities
        • CPD On Demand (Subscription)
        • CPD Activity Application Form
        • Recorded Versions Shop
        • Study Group Resources
      • CPD Policy
        • Reporting CPD Hours
        • Eligible CPD Activities
        • Approved Providers
        • Remedial CPD Plan Information
        • FAQs
        • Transition to One-Year CPD Term
      • Contact Us
      • Volunteers
      • Presenter Section
  • Shop
Law Society of Saskatchewan Law Office Management Email Etiquette

The information provided on this blog is to, the best of our knowledge, accurate and up-to-date as of the date of posting. However, please be aware that information can change rapidly and without notice. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented after the posting date. It is advised that readers exercise due diligence and independently verify the accuracy of information they find on this blog news feed. Here are links to the most current information available in relation to our Membership, Saskatchewan Case Law, and Saskatchewan Legislation.

Email Etiquette

July 5, 2018

By Darcia Senft, General Counsel, Director of Policy and Ethics
Law Society of Manitoba

It was not that long ago when lawyers mailed letters out {by “snail mail”) to their clients and to opposing counsel. Something about the act of dictating a letter that someone else typed up gave us an opportunity to reflect on our words and revise them as we thought appropriate for a formal communication. It may have taken a day or two to put something in a “dictation pile” and then see it back in our in-boxes in draft form for our review and revision. That passage of time served a very useful purpose; it provided time to breathe. Everyone who practices will experience, on occasion, a demanding client or opposing counsel whose practice style tempts us to get into the sandbox and make things personal. When these situations arise, it is very helpful to have an opportunity to reflect on how best to communicate in such a way that will make our points most effectively and in a manner expected of a professional.

These days, almost every communication takes place by email and we are plugged in 24/7. When a client or opposing counsel sends a message by email, there is an expectation that you will respond quickly. The desire to be responsive can lead to ill-advised emails that you may not have sent had you waited for a little while. Rule 7.2 of the Code of Professional Conduct sets out a law yer’s ethical obligation to be courteous and civil and act in good faith with all persons with whom the law yer has dealings in the course of his or her practice. With that in mind, it is always advisable to treat email communications as if they may be produced in court or in front of a committee of the Law Society because sometimes that is exactly where they end up. If you choose to communicate by email and are finding it hard to respond to a challenging client or opposing counsel, by all means draft something up. Don’t put the receiving party’s email address in the draft – so that you don’t accidentally press send before you are ready for it to be read. Just draft the body of the email and then wait. Come back to it later. Check it for tone. Check it for content. Could you set out your position in another way? Would you be comfortable with a court or the Law Society reading it later?

Another email issue that arises from time to time relates to whether you hit “reply” or “reply all” in response to an email from opposing counsel who has chosen to copy her client on the email addressed to you. Some lawyers take offence when the recipient of the email sends a reply all message because they say the other lawyer is then communicating directly with their client, contrary to the Code of Professional Conduct. Others take the view that when a lawyer chooses to include the client in the communication, it is implied that the opposing lawyer is free to respond to everyone who was clearly privy to the communication that was sent. It is always appropriate to keep clients in the loop. But, if you don’t want the person on the other side to copy your client with the reply, it would be prudent and preferable to simply blind copy your client on your initial communication. In the alternative, you could simply forward communications to your client and the issue will not arise.

The practice of law can be stressful and email can be a wonderful communication tool. But, how we use that tool can either add to the stress or reduce it.

[Repost with permission. Originally published in Law Society of Manitoba Communique.]
Share this:
      

2 Responses to “Email Etiquette”

  1. Ken Koshgarian says:
    July 11, 2018 at 10:38 am

    I loved this piece. However, there was a very interesting and funny typo. See if you can find it in this sentence:

    Just draft the body of the email and then wail.

    Respectfully,
    Ken Koshgarian, retired
    Saskatoon

    Reply
    • Law Society of Saskatchewan says:
      July 12, 2018 at 9:02 am

      LOL. A Freudian slip! Thanks for catching that. We have corrected the typo.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Archives

Categories

Subscribe Now

Subscribe for the latest news from our blog "Legal Sourcery".


Submit News Post

Submission Guidelines

Online Tools

  • Search
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • LSS Initiatives
  • For Lawyers & Students
  • For the Public
  • Regulation
  • CPD

Subscribe Now

Subscribe for the latest news from our blog "Legal Sourcery".

Stay Connected

Twitter
Facebook
Linkedin

© 2023 Law Society of Saskatchewan. Website & Hosting by OmniOnline