The letters "Esq." after a lawyer's name signify that the person is a licensed attorney. It is a traditional honorific used to denote that the individual is a member of the legal profession.
You just write it after the name in all lower case letters: John Smith esq.
Some lawyers will have a "J.D." "LL.M." or an "Esq." after their name. "J.D." stands for Juris Doctor, which is the degree received upon graduation from law school. "LL.M." stands for Master of Laws. "Esq." stands for Esquire, which has long been used as a social status right above Gentleman and below the Peerages.
Esq. (abbreviation of Esquire) is a British term, at least in origin. The suffix was used to denote social status. In the United States Esq. has been assumed, not awarded by any authority, mainly by law practitioners.
The abbreviation esq. stands for esquire, which in terms of medieval levels of social ranking, indicated a person who is respectable, but not of the nobility. In more modern usage, it is properly used after the name of a lawyer, though few lawyers today would do it. In the years around 1900, it was sort of a fad for any man who did not have to earn a living with a shovel to sign his name "John Smith, Esq." but it was soon seen as an affectation, and passed into history. Lawyers have the right to use it, but as noted - few ever do.
The traditional title for a lawyer is "Esquire", which is abbreviated "Esq.". Therefore, on the invitation you would write John A Smith, Esq. if his highest degree is JD. If he has also received a PhD, you could write Dr. John A Smith, Esq.
To write Esq with the last name first and middle initial, it would be formatted as follows: "Last Name, First Name Middle Initial, Esq." For example, "Doe, John A., Esq."
Dear Sirs / Messr's / John Doe and Jim Smith, ESQ.
There are a number of ways lawyers may identify themselves. In the United States, some attorneys put Esq. (Esquire) after their names, while others prefer J.D. (Juris Doctor). In Great Britain, Esq. indicates a Barrister as opposed to a Solicitor.
It depends on how pompous the attorney is. Some lawyers love to throw their titles around. For these people, write: John Smith, J.D. (juris doctor) or John Smith (esquire) or John Smith, Attorney at Law Most lawyers though, don't care how you address them as long as it is respectful. Just write: Mr. John Smith or John Smith.
In Britain, it's a very old fashioned title for a man. ESQ is an abbreviation of 'Esquire', which means that a person such as Thomas Smith, Esq is of the upper classes of society. This basically applies to a segment of society known as the 'landed gentry', so families where large amounts of land are passed on through the generations - the born rich, rather than the nouveau riche. In America, some lawyers choose to use that as a professional title, though I'm not sure why!
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The abbreviation "Esq." in a lawyer's title signifies that they are an attorney or lawyer. It is a traditional honorific used in the legal profession to denote someone who is licensed to practice law.