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ACTEC Email Listserv Etiquette

The College thanks Fellows for their attention to these important guidelines and for abiding by listserv etiquette. Fellows may contact ACTEC’s Listserv Monitor if they have questions or to report inappropriate posts.

Website and Listserv Policy

The ACTEC website and the ACTEC-sponsored listservs exist to support the dissemination and exchange of information, ideas and opinions concerning the College, its meetings, the work of its committees, the practice of estate planning, probate and trust law and developments and issues relating to the practices of the College’s Fellows. All communications on the ACTEC website and on its sponsored listservs should be consistent with these purposes. Civility in tone and language is expected and required. Defamatory, demeaning or abusive comments of any kind violate the ACTEC Code of Conduct. ACTEC is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all persons as provided in the ACTEC Bylaws. Critical remarks towards other Fellows or third-party professionals are not appropriate. All Fellows should be mindful of their obligation to practice with professionalism and collegiality, and not use communications posted by another Fellow for improper purposes. 

Posting Standards

    • Send practice-related messages only. Please do not post jokes, personal stories, or commercial messages, or anything that is not practice-related.
    • Be mindful of attorney-client confidentiality and ethics obligations. Your postings are not confidential or privileged. The ABA’s Formal Opinion 511R highlights that model rules often prohibit posting questions or comments about client representation, even in a hypothetical form. Please be cautious and adhere to these guidelines when posting about your clients. For resources on this issue, see the Long Range Planning Committee’s statement on the ABA’s Opinion in the June 28, 2024 issue of the Weekly Update, and listen to the ACTEC Trust and Estate Talk podcast, The Ethics of Posting to Listservs, published on July 17, 2024.
    • Use a descriptive subject line and keep it intact. Do not change the subject line, as listserv archives are sorted by subject line. This allows readers to follow a discussion thread. Do not re-use a subject line to introduce a new inquiry or thread. 
    • Include your name and email address in your signature line. Your firm, city, and telephone number may also be helpful.
    • Limit acronyms or cryptic shorthand to standard estate planning shorthand (e.g., QTIP, QPRT, ILIT), and avoid using unprofessional acronyms such as IMHO, BTW, LOL, etc.
    • Make postings succinct and carefully proofread your message before sending. Please keep messages short and to the point, and check spelling, punctuation, and grammar prior to sending. Please refrain from using all caps/all bold.
    • Do not include Circular 230, law firm email disclosures, banners or images. To ensure your message transmits, delete all banners, email disclosures, and images before sending or replying. Please note: The ACTEC-PRAC and ACTEC-TECH listservs do not allow attachments. Adding an attachment will automatically cause your message to be rejected.   

    Replying Standards

    • When replying to a message, evaluate whether your reply should be sent directly to the individual poster, the whole group, or an individual Fellow. Use your best judgement when responding and consider when an offline response is sufficient. Sharing resources that can benefit the group on the listserv is appropriate.
    • To respond to the whole group, click <Reply>.
    • If your reply is intended only for the sender, <Forward> your reply to the individual sender. To find the sender’s email address, right-click on the sender’s name, click “Properties,” and copy and paste the sender’s email address into the “To” box when forwarding the original message.