A ‘fan’ who follows my activities and content on social media emailed me recently. She told me that she had followed me for a long time, loved what I did online, loved the helpful content I put out and she was looking for some advice for a first time buyer. When she clarified that she… Continue reading Don’t flaunt your shopping bag
Category: Law
Just a quick question
It is a source of constant surprise the number, and type, of persons who contact me looking for free legal advice. The approach can be made in any number of channels of communication to me: phone, email, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. I do not believe my response to such approaches is overly mercenary or… Continue reading Just a quick question
My 1 complaint to the LSRA (Legal Services Regulatory Authority)
I have had 1 complaint against me since I qualified as a solicitor in 2011. One complaint in ten years is not a bad record, I think it’s fair to say. That complaint was submitted to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority in July 2020 and no decision has been made to date, some 10 months’… Continue reading My 1 complaint to the LSRA (Legal Services Regulatory Authority)
Witnessing wills from the car and spraying the €50 notes
I traveled out from my office yesterday, with my trusty secretary, to witness the signing of wills for a couple who are cocooning at home as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. And it was a surreal experience, one I never imagined I would witness. We drove through the entrance to the property at… Continue reading Witnessing wills from the car and spraying the €50 notes
When I Was 23
When I was 23 I bought my first property. Since then I have bought and sold many others, perhaps as many as 17, but I have truthfully lost count. There have been shops, houses, apartments, freeholds, leaseholds, pubs, petrol stations, and sites. In Dublin, outside Dublin, in Meath, Cavan, Longford. In addition to the buying… Continue reading When I Was 23
The same mistake over and over
No matter how many times I try to explain, no matter how many blog posts I write, no matter how many videos I make, people make the same mistake over and over: thinking that, somehow, life is supposed to be fair and unfairness in the workplace gives rise to a legal claim or cause of… Continue reading The same mistake over and over
Casuistry-descending into the particulars
I came across the notion of ‘casuistry’ this week for the first time. It was in an excellent podcast by Malcolm Gladwell who started off the discussion by firstly looking at a case of a famous baseball player in the United States who was fond to have used prohibited substances to continue his career. Without… Continue reading Casuistry-descending into the particulars
Chipping Away at the Rule of Law-When the Stream Becomes a River
The threat of lawlessness that is featuring in the news now with renewed threats on executives working in the former Sean Quinn group of companies along the border is, finally, being taken seriously. About time, too. The Taoiseach, the Government, an Garda Siochana, the PSNI appear to be stepping up their efforts to bring to… Continue reading Chipping Away at the Rule of Law-When the Stream Becomes a River
Lawyers Persuading with Effective Word Pictures (and What You Can Learn)
If I was accused of murder I would hate to see Michael Bowman SC prosecuting me. Although if I had Bernard Condon SC defending my chances of acquittal would be greatly enhanced. My attention has been arrested by the word pictures these two men have been painting for the jury this week in the Patrick… Continue reading Lawyers Persuading with Effective Word Pictures (and What You Can Learn)
Why “Moral turpitude” Is Good
I came across a report in the newspaper this morning, a court report of a psychiatrist who had been struck off the medical register by the President of the High Court, Mr. Justice Peter Kelly. The learned Judge found that the consultant psychiatrist was guilty of professional misconduct and “moral turpitude” for being involved in… Continue reading Why “Moral turpitude” Is Good