Email signature · Lawyers
Your emails get forwarded to partners, accountants and sometimes the other side. A lawyer's signature should be quiet, complete and impossible to misread.
Dear Mr Bos,
I've read the draft agreement. My comments are in the attached document. The notice period in clause 4 needs your attention before you sign.
Kind regards,
Why it matters
A lawyer's email is often the record of who said what, and when. Your full name, role and firm should be unambiguous, so nobody has to guess who they're dealing with.
A confidentiality notice doesn't make an email confidential by itself. It is common practice, though, and tells an accidental recipient what you expect them to do. Keep it short: nobody reads a 200-word block.
Your emails get printed, saved as PDF and added to case files. A text-based signature survives all of that. A signature made of images often turns into a row of broken icons.
Include
Leave out
Recommended
Rendered live with made-up sample details. Pick one and fill in your own.
Text only and one fine line. Looks right in a printed case file and on a phone.
For partners: firm logo on top, a larger name and room for direct and office numbers.
 | ||||||||||
 | Hanna Ritsema Employment lawyer Aalst & Kroon
This email may contain confidential information and is intended only for the addressee. If you received it by mistake, please tell the sender and delete it. | |||||||||
Copy and paste
This email may contain confidential information and is intended only for the addressee. If you received it by mistake, please let the sender know and delete it. Please do not copy or forward it.
Lawyers · FAQ
Usually a paragraph under your email doesn't create an obligation for the reader on its own. It's still common practice, because it signals that the content is confidential and tells accidental recipients what to do. If it matters for a specific matter, check with your firm.
That's a matter of firm style. Many firms keep it text-only for a formal look; practices that work closely with private clients often add a photo to feel more approachable. Both work, as long as the whole firm is consistent.
At the very bottom, under your contact details, in small grey type. Most templates here have a disclaimer field that puts it there for you.
Other professions
Kind regards,
No account, no trial, no watermark. Fill in your details, copy, paste into your email client.
