The traditional greeting is “no longer accurate, representative or appropriate in today’s diverse society”, according to new guidance issued by the Law Society of England and Wales.

The Law Society of Ireland abandoned the salutation in 2020 and the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s human rights and equality committee discouraged solicitors from using it in a 2023 bulletin.

The continued use of “Dear Sirs” in England and Wales has been the subject of some debate in recent years.

The Law Society of England and Wales said in new guidance on diversity and inclusion that it now agrees it “perpetuates the assumption that the recipients of correspondence are by default men”.

It said this was no longer appropriate where legal correspondence is now sent to a “broad scope of recipients including women and individuals with other gender identities including non-binary”.

Solicitors have been encouraged to “avoid gender-specific terms” by adopting greetings such as “Dear legal team”, “Dear all”, or “Good morning”.

The guidance says: “These alternatives maintain professionalism while ensuring your communication is respective of all gender identities.

“If you know the person’s name, always use it. If not, keep it simple and neutral rather than overly formal.”