Dear Legal Writer: Placement & Punctuation for “Thus” & “Therefore”

If you write “Thus,” “Therefore,” or similar words to start a sentence, elevate your style by moving such words to the middle of the sentence.

Here’s an example of each:

1️⃣

▪️ ORIGINAL: “Thus, we decided to delay the deposition.”

⭐️ BETTER: “We thus decided to delay the deposition.”

🚫 NOT: “We, thus, decided to delay the deposition.”

2️⃣

▪️ ORIGINAL: “Therefore, his counsel ceded to our demands.”

⭐️ BETTER: “His counsel therefore ceded to our demands.”

🚫 NOT: “His counsel, therefore, ceded to our demands.”

* * *

Legal writers: What say you?

Fondly,

💌 Amanda