Paralegals & Legal Secretaries

E-Mail Disclaimers

By RJ

Why is it that lawyers always insert the confidentiality notice and disclaimer at the end of an e-mail? Since most of those disclaimers say something like "If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any viewing, copying, disclosure or distribution of this information may be subject to legal restriction or sanction," hasn't the bell that can't be unrung already tolled once the reader gets down the end of the message, past the sender's signature file and the IRS notice?

Most readers of the English language have a tendency to read from the top of the page to the bottom. It would strike me that if anyone really meant anything by using a disclaimer in the first place, he or she would place it in a prominent position. Even the faxes of yore that bore cover sheets prefaced all that before the really important stuff.

© Jennifer J. Rose

To read more by Jennifer J. Rose
please visit her blog @ http://www.staringatstrangers.com/

Author Information:
Jennifer J. Rose
Morelia, Michoacán
ABA member since 1973
Editor-in-Chief, GPSolo
Secretary-elect, GPSolo Division

Full post as published by Impartial Inc on June 24, 2007 (boomark / email).