I read an email from a probate attorney recently that said something like, “The decedent met his demise on March 1, 2010.” My mouth dropped open.
Met his demise?
Never use that phrase– it’s like probate attorney profanity in the ears of sensitive clients. It’s one of those phrases that has such an insensitive edge to it that it just never should be used– even when talking with other attorneys. It could be absolutely disastrous with client relations if you used it in the presence of someone who knew the decedent.
What phrase should you use when talking about someone who has died, particularly in the presence of family members? I’ve found that the phrase that works best and seems to have the softest edge to it is “passed away.” Just saying “died” is ok too.
So eliminate “met his/her demise” from your vocabulary and use something else.
What phrase do you use? Let us know in the comments.
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I just say, “The decedent died on March 1, 2010.” Doesn’t everyone?
I agree that “met his demise” is jarring. I think “died” is straightforward but sometimes just isn’t soft enough. In my practice, we often say “passed.”