As legal copywriters, we know how important tone is for our legal copy.

I mean, it literally makes or breaks our content.

If you come across as too impersonal, you can turn your readers off entirely. But if you come across as too casual, it may be hard for readers to take you seriously.

When it comes to tones, there are two that you must master to get the right message across: formal and conversational.

But which one is best for your law firm? Let’s find out.

What is a Formal Tone?

A formal tone is a tone where the copy is precise, professional, and technical. It involves complex sentence structure, legal jargon, and the passive voice.

An example of formal copy would be

“Our firm is committed to providing comprehensive legal representation across a broad spectrum of practice areas.”

This type of copy focuses on objectivity and maintains a respectful, serious tone. These are the tones that you want to use when writing disclaimers, contracts, or court-related documents.

Formal tones are the most traditional tones used in legal copy. Why? Because it helps law firms and other legal professionals establish authority and credibility.

Pros and Cons

Some of the pros involved with a formal tone are:

• Signaling expertise and credibility.
• Expressing competence.
• Adhering to traditional expectations.
• Ideal with expressing high-stakes situations.

Legal copy has always been traditionally formal. It’s the best tone when you want to make sure that your content is professional and legally binding.

But a formal tone has its cons as well. Some of them are:

• Coming across as cold or impersonal.
• Confusing or intimidating your audience.
• Seeming outdated in a modern world.
• Creating an invisible barrier between yourself and your clients.

Depending on your law firm’s brand, a formal tone may not help you. Instead, you want to take advantage of the next tone – conversational.

What is a Conversational Tone?

A conversational tone is an approachable, clear, and friendly tone. Unlike a formal tone, it includes:

• Everyday language.
• Client-centered sentences.
• Simple, concise sentences.
• A tone that exudes warmth and comfortability.

Even though a formal tone is the most traditional tone for legal copy, it’s not the best tone when you’re trying to connect with your audience.

What would be an example of a conversational tone?

“Legal problems can be overwhelming – but you don’t have to face them alone. Whether you’re dealing with a contract issue, starting a business, or sorting out a dispute, we’re here to help.”

In this tone, professionalism is not the goal. The goal is to build a connection with the reader and establish credibility through trust.

Pros and Cons

Some of the pros behind a conversational tone are:

• Ability to build trust and connection.
• Easier comprehension of legal content.
• Improved user experience.
• Great marketing and client acquisition techniques.

If you want to feel more personable and build a genuine connection with your audience, a conversational tone is the way to go.

But this tone does have its own set of issues. Some of the cons associated with a conversational tone are:

• The risk of appearing unprofessional.
• A risk of misinterpretation.
• Appearing inappropriate.
• Clashing with institutional standards.

Using a conversational tone can cause you to lose credibility or can lead to legal misinterpretations.

For example, can you imagine using a conversational tone when writing a disclaimer? It would be a disaster.

So many people would misinterpret your intentions, leading to potential lawsuits.

What Tone is Best for Your Law Firm?

So, how can you decide which tone is best for your law firm?

Easy. Consider these three factors:

• Your audience. Who are you writing for, attorneys or the general public? What tone will best resonate with them?
• Your purpose. Is your purpose to inform, persuade, or protect your audience?
• Your platform. What type of content are you writing for your audience?

In addition to these factors, think about the different types of content you create for your audience.

Formal tones are great for disclaimers, contracts, regulatory communications, and court documents. This is the legal content where technical accuracy and precision are necessary.

But if you’re writing website copy, newsletters, legal blog posts, and legal guides, a conversational tone is best. This is the content used for branding, marketing, and client acquisition.

With these content pieces, you don’t want to come across as too formal. You could confuse and turn off your readers.

Can You Blend Both Tones?

Depending on your branding goals, it is possible to blend both tones. There are opportunities in legal copy to combine both tones without confusing your readers.

When blending formal and conversational tones, keep the following tips in mind:

• Use plain language and precision.
• Write like you speak professionally.
• Use contractions intentionally.
• Use “you” and “we to build connection.
• Stay professional while sounding relatable.

Final Thoughts

Tone is more than just word choice. It’s about how a message comes across to the reader.

Whether you choose a formal or conversational tone for your legal copy, you want to make sure that it is consistent throughout your content.

You don’t want to sound too informal when your tone should be formal, and vice versa.

And if you are going to blend both tones, you want to do so intentionally without coming across as confusing.

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