One of the judge’s hardest jobs at a trial is to decide what happened because each side usually has a different view of events. To win, you want to do things that make it easy for the judge to rule in your favor. One technique frequently used by lawyers, because we know a judge may later be deciding what happened, is using a confirming letter or email.
Assume you are at an unemployment hearing after an employee quits over the phone. The employee testifies that he was laid off, maybe because after he quit he learned the impact it had on eligibility for benefits. The HR Manager testifies that he quit. If we had a celestial video recorder, we could see the employee did quit. But both witnesses are credible and there is no other evidence of what happened.
It is difficult for the judge to rule in your favor in this situation. The scales of justice are equally balanced. But there is public policy that favors awarding benefits to the unemployed which acts as a gentle breeze blowing down on the employee’s side of the scale.
Now, what if you have a letter to offer into evidence that was sent certified mail return receipt requested right after the phone call. (Or an email – hopefully sent with a delivery receipt so you have proof of receipt) The letter, or email, says:
Dear Employee,
This confirms our telephone conversation this afternoon. You informed me that you were quitting effective immediately. We will process the necessary paperwork and mail your final check.
We wish you well.
Sincerely,
HR Manager
The employee never responded to your letter. (They rarely do!)
Now, you have tilted the balance of the evidence way over to your side. By not responding to your letter, the employee essentially admitted that he quit. With this simple step, you have made it easy for the judge to rule in your favor.