Richard Harrison ponders the language of lawyers
Here are 10 words which are either used exclusively by lawyers or used by lawyers in a specific and bizarre way known only to the legal profession.
Remit
Lawyers prepare drafts of letters, and provide them to their clients for discussion. On approval, they then “remit” the finished article to its intended recipient. Most people would “send” it. A more common use of the word is in relation to the transfer of funds but only lawyers seem to use it for correspondence.
Furnish
If the letter has enclosures which contain information, possibly in response to questions or requests, then that information is “furnished” to its recipients. The root may be the same but, for most non-lawyers, furnishing is what happens to houses.
Relay
If information is simply passed on, it tends to be “relayed”. Lawyers do not like to say “pass it on”.
Engross
Prior to being “remitted”, the corrected and approved draft will be “engrossed”. This means essentially that it is produced in final form. The phrase has Dickensian overtones of parchment, quills, green tape and sealing
