Miss Understood

I love playing with words.

You can have so much fun by deliberately drafting something that is open to interpretation and then waiting to see how others choose to read it.

For example, one of my favourite jokes is about Mickey Mouse talking to his divorce lawyer and saying

“I’m not divorcing Minnie because she’s got buck teeth, I told you that she was F*$king Goofey”.

But my photo today may have to be my new favourite joke – the heading is “how not to Pee off a horse”!

Or what about the guy who got into trouble with his wife, but didn’t know what he’d done wrong – “I heard you” she said “making plans to have a party with your friends – you were getting the stripper and he was getting the escort”.

“Nooooo”, he replied “he’s going to pick up his mum’s old Ford and I was going to the DIY shop to get some paint stripper and we’re going round to his flat to do some redecorating”!!!!

I know they are silly examples, but they still demonstrate the importance of keeping an open mind and not jumping to conclusions.

Take, for example, a letter before action that you might receive from the other side’s solicitors.  If the letter says that they’re going to issue proceedings if you don’t pay up within 7 days, that is fairly unambiguous.

However, if they say that unless you pay within 7 days, they will be advising their client to issue proceedings, that doesn’t definitely mean that they will issue, and could be an indication that their client is cautious about whether they will proceed.

You can take this a step further.  What if the solicitors letter says that if you haven’t paid in 7 days, they will be advising their client on their right to issue proceedings.  This could mean that the solicitor wants to sound threatening but in reality, the advice they will be giving their client may be NOT to issue, either because they have a weak case, and/or it’s not cost effective and/or they don’t think you’re good for the money.

Three completely different ways to end a letter before action, which could all mean completely different things, but could be read by you in the same way.

If you need help interpreting what another party is saying, then I’m happy to give you a translation.

Kleyman & Co Solicitors. The full service law firm. We speak fluent solicitor.