To think colleague is ridiculous? (Grammar)

[babystormi]

I have a new admin job and part of that is sending letters out to solicitors.

I’m in training so colleague (who’s worked in the role a good 15 years) corrected me on this -

On the address I put the company name as “Solicitor & Lawyer” ... exactly how they have their company name on their own letter and website etc but despite this I was told it was unprofessional and I need to put “Solicitor and Lawyer”.

Who’s right?

Absolutely agree. Always use the format the company has adopted as its own

Your boss is wrong.

My company name has an ampersand in it, it's registered with Companies House that way, it's on my tax returns/HMRC registration, my website and all my business cards.

It's how I chose to brand my company and if someone decided they "knew better" and sent me correspondence using and instead of & I'd find it hugely rude and a bit disrespectful if I'm honest!

Your boss is wrong.

Oh my goodness. Not my boss. A colleague. Even says it in the title.

I know, lol someone interrupted me mid type so I only saw your comment after I'd hit post 🤣

Hazelbite, what if one of the solicitors is a woman?

I'd say if it's just a colleague then do your own thing. If they you & in their own letters then you should respond using the same.

*use, not you!

cloudtree Thu 03-May-18 08:29:06

But I know that wasn't your question. I doubt the solicitor would even notice. It isn't unprofessional.

They won't open the post themselves anyway, their receptionist/admin will.

Your colleague is wrong.
Did they ever need to write to the artist formerly known as Prince?

“RB68

Solicitor Firms are Partnerships. They are professionals the same as Drs. and do not form Limited Companies.

Where a company say.. Bodgit & Scarper Solicitors have a letter addressed to them I personally would use the ampersand in the address but "and" in the body of the letter. But it is personal pereference - I worked for a long time with Solicitor Firms and they are only bothered if you spell a name wrong and then only if it is their name - lol”

Incorrect. A fair few firms now work under an ABS and some are Limited.

There is no need to use “Messrs” in the address. Smith & Jones is totally acceptable in the address.

15 years and counting in a law firm...

I have worked in newspapers nearly all my life and each one has what we call a "house style" - which includes things like "don't use a &" use "and" instead. It's all slightly daft, but we get told to change any use of &.

But the "house style" was usually made up by someone forty years ago and has come to be regarded as immutable, despite the fact that many details are either entirely arbitrary or were put in place because of technical difficulties that no longer exist. As examples, some newspapers still print pc instead of % even though there is no conceivable reason why current printing technology would not allow the correct symbol to be used. Similarly, all newspapers print temperatures as C instead of °C, which is just plain wrong. A figure given as 25C can only mean an electrical charge of 25 coulombs: it does not, in any version of reality, indicate a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. (Ditto for 77F: a capacitance of 77 farads, not a temperature of 77°F.) Again, the reason they do it is that it was difficult to typeset the degree symbol forty years ago. It isn't difficult now.

I use the ampersand in any phrase where words are routinely paired, like rock & roll, country & western, etc., in the link @gingergenius posted. I would write anatomy & physiology, pharmacology & therapeutics, behavioural & social sciences, etc., rather than using "and". Personally, I find it easier to read and I feel it shows that the two things belong together rather than being separate items in a list.

Ha ha Skiiltan, we do indeed have to write 70 percent and 25 degrees. It is all bloody ridiculous.

I might rebel, and put an & in the next thing I have to write. There’s no subs these days to check it all through properly anyway.

You always use the and, even when it is on the brand, and even if it’s on companies house. I learned this via corporate governance training.

Once again the myth that barristers are more senior to solicitors is perpetuated. They merely practice law in a different way to solicitors.

Lawyer is a term that encompasses all those who practice law including barristers, solicitors, legal executives, paralegals and licenced conveyancers etc

I think your colleague is wrong.

The use of "Messrs" is incredibly outdated because nowadays forms tend to have historic names for branding purposes and no Mr Slaughter or Mr May works there still!

Doh ] - sorry everyone I've rather derailed the thread with my misunderstanding. I thought it was some eejit saying "please send all correspondence to Frederick Ponsenby-Smythe, solicitor and lawyer"

I'll leave!

Just to add a bit of extra pedantry, is this really a grammar question or one of style?