The past two years I have immersed myself in legal writing. I find it surprisingly interesting – and almost find myself craving to learn more. While I’m definitely no law expert, writing for attorneys and firms has definitely given me insight into the law – including all of the legal terms that we in the industry refer to as “legalese.”
If you’re a lawyer, you already know legalese – you’re probably better versed in it than myself. But, when it comes to setting up your legal blog, you may wonder if legalese in your blog posts is the way to go.
I get this question from plenty of my legal clients and unfortunately the answer is not as simple as a yes or no here. Instead, we have to assess a few things.
What’s Your Angle?
By this I mean, what’s your goal with your blog posts? Do you want to educate potential and current clients or are you hoping to gain more of a following and possibly create viral content? The answer here will determine a lot in regards to the tone and wording you use in your blog posts.
For example, you are aiming to go viral. Be the person that everyone sees on social media and shares nationally. These blogs rarely contain legalese. Sure, they may cite a few statutes and codes – all to exercise your legal authority – but they are easy to understand and readers aren’t pulling up Google every five minutes to define a term.
If you want to educate, you can go either way. You can go with legalese and teach customers about all of the legal terms out there to know or you can stick to the lay terms and make it a little easier on the average person to read. Really there isn’t a right or a wrong here.
I know, this doesn’t sound like it helped much, which is why I move to the next section.
Legalese: The Pros and Cons
Using legalese in your blog posts is all about preference and the image you want to portray. To decide if legalese is the right option for you law blog, here’s a few pros and cons I often share with my clients:
Pros of Using Legalese:
- You educate your readers on the right legal terms and even the statutes that correspond with them. This is an education that they may not find elsewhere too.
- You show your authority on the topic – no one can exactly question your authority when you know the terms.
- You show your professionalism. This is extremely important, because most people looking for an attorney want someone that is knowledgeable, professional and ready to handle their case. Using legal terms, citing references and even educating readers about the statutes is by far the best way to exercise your professionalism.
Cons of Using Legalese:
- Your blogs may be too difficult to follow or read. When someone has to stop and do an internet search for a definition, they lose track of what they were reading – and possibly don’t even walk away with the knowledge you were hoping they would. Also, if the blog is too complex to read, people may quickly turn away and find a blog that is easier to read and understand.
- You take away your personality. While clients and potential clients definitely want someone that knows the law and is professional, they don’t want someone that they are uncomfortable with. Your clients should feel as though you are approachable and someone they can confide in. Often that means showing a little personality in your blog posts – and giving them some insight into who you are as a person as well as a professional.
In my opinion, legalese is best suited for your website content – and your blog posts should be more relaxed and engaging. Especially if you practice in areas like family law, bankruptcy, and criminal defense.
Now, if your firm specializes in corporate law, contracts, business, and sometimes even criminal defense and international law, being more professional and less personal may be ideal – because often corporate clients want those that exercise professionalism and knowledge at every turn.
Bottom line, you know your client base and the type of customer your firm attracts. You need your content to follow what an ideal client would look for.
To make it easier, hire a legal writer to craft up your blogs and website content. Contact me here at Shailynn Krow Copywriting to get an estimate on your legal work. Legal blogs start as low as $15 and legal website contnent
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