A is for Advice
In giving advice to individual clients or large corporates, each is guaranteed to receive the very best advice possible and the same level of 'Client Care'. All our lawyers, whether qualified solicitors or not, undertake at least 16 hours of CPD a year - that's Continuing Professional Development - meaning they're on-the-ball as to the latest legal opinion.
B is for Breakfast Club
The Stourbridge Breakfast Club is our flagship networking event, and something we're very proud of. It has been in existence since 2005, regularly attracts over 100 business people from far and wide and the great thing is we don't try and force 'Talbots' down the throat of those attending. And therefore it is (arguably) the toughest networking event to get an invite to.
If Carlsberg did networking events...
C is for Church Street
Talbots' Kidderminster office moved into 30 Church Street in 1840 where it has continued ever since.
D is for Did You Know
Did you know Talbots' DBL business was founded in 1952 by Peter Dunham (the 'D') and the name DBL was born when Peter was joined by Stanley Brindley ('B') a year later, and finally by James Linn ('L') in 1958?
E is for (L)Excel
Most people recognise Excel as THE name for spreadsheets. Well in Law, we simply add the letter 'L' to create Lexcel.
Lexcel is the Law Society's practice management standard. What does that mean? Put simply it certifies that certain standards have been met. It is only awarded to Practices' who meet the highest management and customer care standards and is awarded after rigorous independent assessment every year. As a client it means you know Talbots has met the required standards of excellence in areas such as client care, case management and risk management.
F is for Free
Free Legal Aid. Free Advice Forums. Free Guides. Free ice-creams. Well maybe not the ice-creams but everything else is true. To find out more, navigate to the relevant part of the site. And if you're upset there's no ice-cream, click here.
G is for General Practice
Talbots has been and will remain a General Practice. General may sound non specialist, ordinary even, but we like the Dictionary definition which simply says "applying to all or most members of a category or group i.e. the general public". Talbots represents the communities it works in meaning that our range of services (Family, Employment, Commercial, Criminal, Property and so on) is what our local clients need. And generally speaking, it has served our clients well.
H is for Honesty
One of our values is that we are 'Straightforward'. Straightforward means we speak plainly, we say what we mean, we avoid using legal jargon and are to the point and clear. A long winded way of saying we try to be honest with our clients, even if sometimes it isn't what they want to hear.
I is for Interesting
One interesting fact is that Talbots sponsors a zebra at West Midlands Safari Park! Why would we want to do that? See 'Z' for more information!
J is for Jibba Jabba
Ever had one of those experiences where a solicitor gives you advice you don't understand? 'Jibba jabba'. That's the official name for such advice. Go look it up! Talbots' solicitors speak plainly, use a minimum of legalise jargon and use one word where some use a dozen.
K is for Knowledge
Keeping up to date with the very latest developments is important to us, because it is important to our clients. We make sure that every one of our support staff has their own set of objectives and tailored training each year. They say a little bit of knowledge is a powerful thing - does that make us turbo-charged?
L is for Lloyds TSB
What connects Talbots to the banking giant? John Talbot, 4th generation family member, formed the Kidderminster Equitable Building Society which later became the Heart of England Building Society which itself became part of Cheltenham and Gloucester Plc and is now part of Lloyds TSB. Well I never!
M is for Alliteration
Talbots has four double-MMers - Melanie Mapstone, Mary Mocklow, Michelle Monnes and Martyn Morgan. Is that some... ummmm, kind of record? MMaybe!
N is for Newcastle United
What do we have in common with a football team? Well if you think about it for a moment... we both have a fondness for black and white stripes; we're both well supported and we both play an important part in the local community. And if that wasn't enough we have a (Claire) Cole and a (Lesley) Clarke as did the famous Newcastle side of the 90's namely legends Andrew Cole and Lee Clark(e).
Now all we need is a Waddle!
O is for Offices
Each Talbots client is welcome to use any one of our 6 offices across the Midlands. Simply tell us you're coming and we'll make some space for you, pop the kettle on and leave you to do what you need to do.
P is for Patois
Patois is just one of the international languages we speak which allows us to work with the many different communities across the Black Country. There is also Benagli, Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati, Greek and French to name a few! And some folk say Black Country is a language of its own - did you know one of our staff is the daughter of one half of the famous Black Country duo, Aynuk and Ayli? Bostin!
Q is for Quotations
We believe in a transparent pricing structure - therefore we take time to explain how our pricing structure works, what we think our advice may cost and we usually like to email or write confirming things to you. And you can quote us on that.
R is for Regulation
Regulation - yes, that rather dry old topic - but it makes sure we toe the legal line. Talbots' is heavily regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority but we don't mind because it makes sure you are protected.
S is for Stourbridge
Stourbridge! Famous for its glass, Dr. Johnson, who attended King Edward VI Grammar School before writing his dictionary... and of course, Talbots! Walk through the town and you will see the Talbot Hotel, Talbot Street and many other references to the 'famous' Talbots' of Stourbridge!
T is for Time-recording
How do we ensure our clients only pay for the advice they receive? We 'time record'. This means we keep a track on how many minutes we spend working on our clients' matters. We think this should be used in other professions too! Imagine time recording at the garage? It'll never catch on!
U is for University of Wolverhampton
Talbots enjoys a special relationship with the University's School of Law. Together we work on joint activities and the University provides expert guidance and advice to the Practice as well as helping deliver CPD training and introducing Talbots to the business community at large. So a special hurrah to the University!
V is for Values
Talbots' values are what every client has a right to expect in every contact with the firm - be that in person, in writing or any other communication. If you feel we have fallen short of your expectation, email our Senior Partner, Martyn Morgan at martynmorgan@talbotslaw.co.uk and he will make sure we put what's wrong, right.
W is for William Talbot
William Talbot was the first member of the Talbot family to practise as a Solicitor in Kidderminster, commencing around 1828, and he continued for nearly sixty years. Solicitor, Clerk to the Kidderminster Court of Requests and County Court Registrar, who says men can't multi-task?
X is for Cross-Roads
Many clients need advice and support when they call Talbots. Often this can feel like being at something of a cross-roads. It is always up to our client as to what they choose to do, but like any journey, we hope we act as something of a Tom-Tom, laying out the road map for the journey ahead. We hope to avoid any road blocks, certainly don't want to be caught speeding and ultimately ensure our clients arrive safely at their destination.
Y is for Yabba Dabba Doo
Fred Flintstone's famous cry makes us smile! It has nothing to do with law firms but our Partner, Derek Simmonds, has all his pets named after the residents of Bedrock! Strange but true! So after 3... 1, 2,3 click here and yabba dabba doo!
Z is for Zebra
Why a zebra? Zebra's are probably best known for their distinctive white and black stripes. But did you know that each zebra's stripes come in different patterns unique to that animal? We like to think of our clients and staff in a similar way - the same, but different. We also like the fact zebras are social animals, roam in small harems and have never been tamed. Talbots, zebra, zebra, Talbots.
