One of my teenagers volunteers on a Saturday afternoon in the local Oxfam book and record shop. I popped in to see her this weekend, and as always, I am staggered at how many good quality, recent books are available. I think that is to do with the “buy one, get one free” approach of book stores. Many of the books on the shelves are unread.
I was surprised to find that they had a Law section, something said teenager had never mentioned to me. I think she does not see conveyancing as “law”, equating “law” with court rooms in her teenage brain! When I say Law Section, there was a shelf with law textbooks on it! But what surprised me even more, and in fact, not only surprised me but amazed, shocked and perplexed me was that there was a copy of the Conveyancing Handbook, 12th edition, together with other conveyancing textbooks, many of which are on my office book shelves. Now bearing in mind that we are now on the 28th edition of the Handbook, I wondered why it was a solitary copy of the 12th edition. As there were other conveyancing text books, I have been pondering how these books came to be in the Oxfam store, and have come up with a few possible answers, but please feel free to add your own! I did check that said teenager had not removed my copy from my book shelf!!
Perhaps, it was a solicitor who had started a career in conveyancing but decided it was not for him or her.
Perhaps it was someone who had retired and found a copy of it in a book shelf at home, having borrowed it from their office and never returned it. (My late father was an English Literature lecturer and he often had twenty copies of Hamlet or whatever text was being studied by the end of each academic year and had to return all copies under the amnesty for students so I can understand how this would happen!)
Or perhaps it was someone, who over the last year, just decided to give up conveyancing and wanted to remove all trace of the subject from his or her office. As you read this, you may be nodding your head and thinking that is the answer and you may agree that had you been given the chance, you too would have given up the subject area of work. I am still reading even now how difficult the last two years have been and saw a report during the course of last week as to how many conveyancing solicitors are now starting to leave the profession, maybe retiring or just deciding to do something else, moving away from law altogether.
I think it is somewhat unusual to find a shelf of books relating to conveyancing, and the practical aspect of it rather than the academic area of land law, other than in a solicitor’s office. Said teenager is tasked with finding out where the book has come from …
This is written by a real high street conveyancer who wishes to remain anonymous. Read more in Today’s Conveyancer every week.