I note your correspondence on forms of address. When in practice, I occasionally received responses to letters from French avocats, who began their response with ‘Chere Maître’, which was flattering if inaccurate. The paragraph that followed usually begged me the honour of doing something to assist their client, which was equally flattering but unachievable.

Why doesn’t the profession adopt ‘Dear Colleagues’? While I take Mr Gill’s point (25 June) that the sobriquet may be meaningless, doesn’t it infer that regardless of the contents to follow, the writer acknowledges a fellow professional? The profession is all the better for that.

Adrian Lower, York

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