I have discovered that, occasionally, SMTP server certificates go out of date or the server's certificates are misconfigured. When that happens, AVAST might block the outgoing mail because the server is not properly trusted. If you are sure of your SMTP configuration in your email client, you can turn off AVAST's outbound mail scanning. (Bring up the AVAST client by double clicking the AVAST icon in the Windows tray, and then from the Menu, select Settings ==> Protection ==> Core Shields ==> Mail Shield, and uncheck "Scan outbound mails (SMTP)".)