Greens Solicitors wishes to congratulate our very own Matthew Hall who tomorrow, celebrates 40 years since qualifying as a solicitor.  What a fantastic achievement and how lucky are we, and our clients, to have a solicitor with Matthew’s wealth of knowledge and experience.’

Julie Maguire

Director

I had an amazing surprise today when it had been spotted that on the 15th July I am qualified as a solicitor for 40 years. I am so grateful for the wonderful messages, and the wine and cake, which I may have to eat and drink, but not in that order.

So, what was legal practice like in ancient history?

If you were one of the privileged secretaries, you had an electronic typewriter, rather than a manual one. But that didn’t help so much if there was a mistake halfway through a 40 page lease, which would then have to be re-done entirely.

There was a fax machine. It was a thermal one, so that if it was left on the storage radiator it would turn completely black. That is assuming it hadn’t rolled majestically into the rubbish bin which had been cleverly placed below it.

Completions were on Fridays. This involved travelling to the Vendor’s solicitors in person, clutching a cheque to exchange for some deeds, and in the more prosperous of panelled offices a sherry if it was after 12 o’clock.

Fridays were a bit of a write off in the afternoon, for some liquid reason.

Counsel was attended in the Crown Court, and if you needed to contact the office, the search might be on for a public call box.

Care proceedings were rough and ready, with little paperwork. I remember a nasty piece of work bawling at a client of mine “you’re an unfit mother!”

Green forms were sent to the Law Society, which always paid up  £75 for an uncontested divorce. Imagine a world without the Legal Aid Agency…

But enough of the past. I would like to put on record that from the moment I joined Greens, I have had the most fabulous support, as I have grappled with the technology that I was told before I couldn’t deal with. I am so grateful, and hope that in the next 40 years I will eventually get the hang of everything all by myself!

Matthew Hall

40 Years a solicitor!