Even for those who were born into it, English is hard. There are tons of niche rules and vague things to keep in mind. No one could be blamed for wondering if it is correct to say “on behalf of me and my family.”
In this post, we’ll cover whether or not this phrase is correct, as well as why or why not this is the case. Get ready for a little grammar lesson!
Is It Correct to Say “On Behalf of Me and My Family”?
It is grammatically correct to say “on behalf of me and my family.” However, it can be wrong to say “on behalf of me and my family” if you are the one doing something, in which case “on behalf of my family and myself” is correct.
Understandably, that’s confusing. “On behalf of me and my family” can be correct, but it can also be incorrect. It depends on whether the subject of the sentence is the speaker or something else. Here are some examples of “on behalf of me and my family” in a sentence:
- Jason is speaking on behalf of me and my family.
- On behalf of me and my family, my dog would brave any danger.
- Please take this gift on behalf of me and my family.
Note that in these examples, the subject of the sentence is not the speaker. Instead, the subject is “Jason” or the “gift.” In these sentences, it is grammatically correct to say “on behalf of me and my family.” But if the subject of the sentence is the speaker, this changes:
- I fight on behalf of myself and my family.
- I am shopping on behalf of myself and my family.
- On behalf of myself and my family, I offer you this gift.
The subject in all of these sentences is the speaker, “I.” Thus, it’s correct to use a reflexive such as “myself,” because the speaker is saying or doing something for themself.
So, it’s correct to use “on behalf of me and my family” in the right context. But not everyone will be comfortable using this phrase. So, we’ve gathered some alternatives on what to say instead of “on behalf of me and my family.”
Other Ways to Say “On Behalf of Me and My Family”
Other ways to say “on behalf of me and my family” are “On behalf of my family, on our behalf, for my family, in the interests of my family, in the name of my family, for the sake of my family, in place of my family, and at the behest of my family.”
All of these phrases have a roughly similar meaning: that being that something is either being done for your family or in place of one’s family doing the action. We’ll discuss their exact use as alternatives in more detail down below.
1. On Behalf of My Family
This is an acceptable alternative to “on behalf of me and my family” because it is assumed that you are a part of your family, and thus do not need to be specified. There is no need to include yourself as a separate noun from “your family” since “your family” includes you. It’s the same message, but shorter.
- Because we cannot attend the wedding, James will give the bride a gift on behalf of my family.
- Kylie will be speaking on behalf of my family.
2. On Our Behalf
As long as you provide proper context as to who “our” refers to, you can use “on our behalf” instead of “me and my family.” This would generally be in conversation, where you can imply that you are speaking about your family and yourself, since “our family” would include you and all of its members.
- My family is very grateful that firefighters would risk their lives on our behalf.
- The fact that Liam would try to speak on our behalf has upset my family.
3. For My Family
While “for my family” requires proper context to be an alternative to “on behalf of me and my family,” it works perfectly well in that context. “For” is a synonym to “behalf” and “my family,” as always, includes you, so there is no need to specify yourself as a separate noun in this phrase.
- I am going to work so I can make money for my family.
- Adam will be talking to the governor for my family.
4. In the Interests of My Family
Generally speaking, when something is done on your behalf, it is done in your interest (to your benefit). Therefore, unless something negative is being done on behalf of you and your family, you can correctly use the alternative “in the interests of my family.” You can specify yourself, but don’t have to.
- The lawyer is acting in the interests of me and my family.
- A real estate agent will sell our home in the interests of my family.
5. In the Name of My Family
When you give someone permission to do something as though you were doing it yourself, it is said that they ae doing it “in your name.” So, if you give someone permission to act “on behalf of” your family, you can rightly say they are acting “in the name of your family.”
- The courts are pressing for criminal charges against the perpetrator in the name of my family.
- In the name of my family, a private investigator is looking into this matter.
6. For the Sake of My Family
When something is being done “on behalf of” someone else, it is often being done “for their sake.” Like “in the interests of” the alternative “for the sake of my family” can be used if the action being done on your family’s behalf is positive, since “sake” is a synonym for words like benefit or advantage.
- Ben has decided to take the blame for this crime for the sake of my family.
- For the sake of my family, I must work hard every day.
7. In Place of My Family
If your family is being substituted by another person or entity, you could say they are acting “in place of my family” instead of “on behalf of my family.” However, this alternate phrase only works if the noun (your family) is being substituted by something else, so the context must be correct.
- The noble hero was willing to sacrifice himself in place of my family.
- We won’t be able to attend the wedding, so my cousin Peter will go in my place of my family.
8. At the Behest of My Family
“Behest” is “instruction” or “command.” If you instructed a taxi driver to take you home, he would be driving to that location “at your behest,” or “on your behalf.” If something is acting on your instruction, you could say “at the behest of my family” instead of “on behalf of my family.”
- The inspector is looking into the building’s structure at the behest of my family.
- At the behest of my family, food with peanuts will not be served at the backyard barbecue.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
