Author Topic: what I have learned today.  (Read 847232 times)

ian

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3150 on: 29 January, 2019, 08:16:32 am »
Even though they get it wrong every single year, I do like PAYE. Too long doing taxes in the US, where completing your 1040s is a bureaucratic ritual. I'm not sure if it's got any better, but it was a bit of form-filling nightmare, and you have to do Federal and State taxes. Most Americans are born with an innate knowledge of completing tax forms. Paperwork in general, it's a surprisingly bureaucratic society. Resisting moral turpitude in triplicate.

That said, I used to take my big box of receipts and stuff to the tax company in town, and pay them $75 or whatever.

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3151 on: 29 January, 2019, 10:22:57 am »
That barristers work on the "cab rank" system, and if they are available, have to take the client presented to them, but solicitors can refuse to accept clients.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

ian

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3152 on: 29 January, 2019, 12:05:22 pm »
I confess that I have no idea what the difference between barristers and solicitors is.

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3153 on: 29 January, 2019, 12:18:51 pm »
Well I know barristers are the be-wigged ones, often "called to the bar", like Julian OTP.

Googling provides the following:

Barristers vs. solicitors
In the UK, those who practice law are divided into barristers, who represent clients in open court and may appear at the bar, and solicitors, who are permitted to conduct litigation in court but not to plead cases in open court. The barrister does not deal directly with clients but does so through a solicitor.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

ian

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3154 on: 29 January, 2019, 12:31:21 pm »
I don't think I'm any wiser. It's probably better to need neither.

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3155 on: 29 January, 2019, 12:40:28 pm »
I don't think I'm any wiser. It's probably better to need neither.
soliciters deal with people who have legal problems, require contracts or need to break the. (Divorce). They send nasty letters to other soliciters clients and write up legal documents. If they can’t resolve the problems between themselves and need to go to court then the solicitor engages the services of a barrister who represents the client in court attempting to present best case using the law and legal president to convince the judge and jury that their client is guilty or innocent. It’s basically an antiquated gravy train for public school boys
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3156 on: 29 January, 2019, 12:42:01 pm »
I don't think I'm any wiser. It's probably better to need neither.
Rumpole is a barrister. Bonny Bernard is a solicitor.

Easy.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

ian

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3157 on: 29 January, 2019, 12:57:03 pm »
...
It’s basically an antiquated gravy train for public school boys

Somehow I thought it would come down to that.

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3158 on: 29 January, 2019, 07:23:49 pm »
Except this is all muddled cos some solicitors have "audience rights" or something which means they can represent clients in (some?) open courts...

And some barristers will accept direct instructions.

ian

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3159 on: 29 January, 2019, 07:28:01 pm »
It's easier in the US. They're all sharks.

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3160 on: 29 January, 2019, 07:32:29 pm »
Elfyn Llwyd, a former MP, is a solictor and a barrister.

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3161 on: 29 January, 2019, 07:37:58 pm »
It's easier in the US. They're all sharks.
Which reminds me ...

Why don't lawyers ever sue sharks ?

Professional ethics dear boy.
Rust never sleeps

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3162 on: 29 January, 2019, 08:01:32 pm »
I learned today that "normal" body temperature varies with altitude. Around here (1500-1800 m above sea level) normal body temperature is about 0.5 deg C below the usual 37 C.

Giraffe

  • I brake for Giraffes
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3163 on: 30 January, 2019, 08:48:02 am »
It's easier in the US. They're all sharks.
In the term "criminal lawyer" the adjective is redundant.
2x4: thick plank; 4x4: 2 of 'em.

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3164 on: 30 January, 2019, 09:38:41 am »
It's easier in the US. They're all sharks.
Which reminds me ...

Why don't lawyers ever sue sharks ?

Professional ethics dear boy.

Interesting consequence of this: barristers are self-employed and are generally paid by the instructing solicitor on behalf of the client. Until fairly recently I believe it wasn't actually possible for barristers to sue for fees in cases of non-payment, and it is still not quite the done thing; last time I was in the pub with my barrister mate he got the first round in, because he'd finally had some 18-month-overdue invoices paid...

Snakehips

  • Twixt London and leafy Surrey
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3165 on: 30 January, 2019, 10:01:17 am »
These are the days of the blackbird, at least they are according to Italians, who call the 29/30/31 January 'i giorni della merla'.
An nescis, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?

andytheflyer

  • Andytheex-flyer.....
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3166 on: 30 January, 2019, 12:58:44 pm »
It's easier in the US. They're all sharks.
last time I was in the pub with my barrister mate he got the first round in, because he'd finally had some 18-month-overdue invoices paid...

What he didn't tell you was the up front fee he got for even looking at the case, and the humongous 'refresher' he got half way through.  The last QC I worked with got a refresher of £0.3M.  On a 5 year civil case that eventually settled out of court for £2m.  My fee as an expert witness was somewhat smaller, and I sorted and analysed all the data that the case hinged on, and briefed the lawyers on why the appellant's claim was a good'un, and just how huge were the porkies the respondent was telling.

Mind you, the QC was frighteningly quick on the uptake of a complex technical case.  It had taken me 30 years to get my head around the issues, it took him a few hours.  He made me wonder what I'd been doing all those years.

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3167 on: 30 January, 2019, 01:03:56 pm »
Most barristers are not QCs tho... And most don't get paid anything like that, it's usually a few hundred quid here and there.  Many also seem to do a lot of probono work, or hours of work which just aren't billable for various reasons.

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3168 on: 30 January, 2019, 01:28:15 pm »
You really dont want to know.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.

andytheflyer

  • Andytheex-flyer.....
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3169 on: 30 January, 2019, 02:44:49 pm »
Most barristers are not QCs tho... And most don't get paid anything like that, it's usually a few hundred quid here and there.  Many also seem to do a lot of probono work, or hours of work which just aren't billable for various reasons.

That is also true.  My next-door neighbour is a criminal barrister, on the local circuit, defending low-lifes, druggies and other ner-do-wells.  I cannot for the life of me understand how he makes a living, although at home he usually looks even scruffier than me, so maybe that tells a story.

Mr Larrington

  • A bit ov a lyv wyr by slof standirds
  • Custard Wallah
    • Mr Larrington's Automatic Diary
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3170 on: 30 January, 2019, 07:13:08 pm »
I learned that the fabled Mercedes-Benz racing car transporter from the 1950s was painted blue!  Only ever seen b/w photos of it before.
External Transparent Wall Inspection Operative & Mayor of Mortagne-au-Perche
Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3171 on: 30 January, 2019, 09:03:23 pm »
That Rule 34 applies to dungarees.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

ian

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3172 on: 30 January, 2019, 09:48:25 pm »
The girl that made me eat a slice of vegan pizza in Hackney at the weekend was wearing dungarees.

For the record, this isn't the sort of activity I seek out on the internet.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3173 on: 30 January, 2019, 09:50:17 pm »
Barakta once won the Sheffield University LGB committee award for "person most likely to wear dungarees"

ian

Re: what I have learned today.
« Reply #3174 on: 30 January, 2019, 10:04:12 pm »
My very rude and very lesbian friend once claimed, after several drinks, to own a pair of 'crotchless dungarees.' For obvious reasons, this claim remains unverified.