Law Society urges firms to scrap ‘dear sirs’ to reflect gender diversity in modern law
The Law Society has called on law firms across England and Wales to abandon the long-standing salutation “Dear Sirs”, declaring it no longer compatible with a modern, diverse legal profession.
The new diversity and inclusion guidance, published this month, advises that the gendered greeting—once standard in legal correspondence—should be replaced with neutral alternatives that better represent today’s profession.
The Society said the move aims to “account for and represent the broad scope of recipients, including women and individuals with other gender identities, including non-binary”. It described the phrase “Dear Sirs” as a remnant of an era when the legal profession was dominated by men and when letters were assumed to be written to male partners or clerks.
“This gendered greeting perpetuates the assumption that the recipients of correspondence are by default men,” the guidance states.
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The Law Society’s stance marks a significant cultural shift in formal communication standards within the legal sector. The organisation emphasised that the recommended alternatives retain professionalism while demonstrating respect for gender diversity and inclusivity.
For situations where the recipient’s name is unknown, the guidance offers several gender-neutral options. Firms are encouraged to use phrases such as “Dear team”, “Good morning/afternoon”, or “Dear all”. More formal choices include “To whom it may concern” or addressing individuals by their professional role, such as “Dear managing partner”.
According to the Society, these formulations “maintain professionalism while ensuring your communication is respectful of all gender identities”.
The move has been welcomed by many within the profession who have long argued that traditional phrasing fails to reflect the diversity of modern legal workplaces. The guidance also comes amid broader efforts across the industry to modernise language, forms of address, and office culture.
Although the Law Society’s updated position was formally announced this month, several leading law firms had already begun phasing out gendered salutations. Reporting earlier this year, Legal Cheek noted that major City firms—including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Clifford Chance, Withers, and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan—had taken independent steps to drop “Dear Sirs” from their standard correspondence templates.
The new directive from Chancery Lane consolidates that momentum, making it clear that the profession’s representative body now expects law firms to adopt inclusive practices as standard.
Law Society president Mark Evans, who has overseen a broader review of professional language and documentation, said in an accompanying statement that the guidance reflects the Society’s role in shaping “a legal culture that mirrors the diversity of those it serves”.
The Society’s guidance forms part of a wider diversity and inclusion initiative intended to modernise professional standards and encourage inclusive communication. It follows several recent updates to practice protocols, including recommendations on gender-neutral job titles, inclusive recruitment advertising, and the removal of outdated terminology in legal documentation.
The issue of gendered language in professional correspondence has gained increasing attention in recent years. Advocates for change argue that small linguistic adjustments can help signal respect, reduce bias, and foster more equitable workplace environments.
Critics, however, have occasionally questioned whether such changes risk focusing on symbolism rather than substantive reform. The Law Society has countered that inclusive communication is an essential component of professional conduct and public confidence in the legal sector.
“Language evolves,” the Society’s spokesperson said, “and so must the profession. Ensuring that our communications are inclusive is fundamental to upholding the integrity and modernity of legal practice.”
The guidance encourages firms to review their standard templates and train staff to adopt the new recommendations immediately. While there is no formal enforcement mechanism, the Society expects widespread compliance given the reputational implications of failing to modernise.
With major firms already leading the way, the traditional “Dear Sirs” appears set to disappear from the legal lexicon after more than a century of use—a quiet but symbolic end to one of the profession’s oldest formalities.