Yvonne Davey may have started her law career later in life but the lawyer’s instinct was there as a teenager.
The octogenarian and Principal of Davey Law received her Queensland Law Society 25-year pin at Wednesday night’s Celebrate Recognise Socialise Event at Brisbane’s Customs House, and revealed she was an avid newspaper reader from an early age, especially the hard news.
“When only a very young girl, I used to read the daily paper quite thoroughly, and my interest was always taken by any articles that reported crime and legal issues,” she said.
“As a teenager, when I was in the back seat of my parents’ car, with Dad driving on a trip, Dad ran into the car ahead. As seat belts had not been thought about at that stage, I banged into the front seat and suffered a cracked tooth.
“When I realised that I needed to have dental work done, and that you can’t put a new nerve into a 14-year-old tooth, I approached my Dad to tell him I might have to sue him.
“In no short order my father said ‘Don’t be so ridiculous!’ and that quickly ended the matter.”
And entering the legal profession also met with some resistance in those times.
“Women really had no easy access to enter the legal profession. Even later, when, as a 20-year old, I married; I had to resign from my government job as married women were not allowed to hold permanent government employment. We could work for the government, but only on a casual basis.
“Eventually, when I was several years into my marriage, I was informed that the government was re-instating old employees, as the law had changed and we married women were no longer persona non grata. I applied for my old telephonist job, and was rehired; this lead to a wonderful 20-year career here in Brisbane.”
While in her last few years with Telecom, Yvonne undertook on a part-time basis, a Bachelor of Administration degree at Griffith University.
“My degree was earned around the same time that I joined many of my workmates in a small mass retirement, as a lucrative deal had been struck between Telecom and our union, and suddenly, my superannuation and redundancy figures became very interesting,” she said.
“After one year spent working as a consultant for a clothing factory, I saw a Griffith Uni advertisement inviting interested persons to enrol in a program for graduates, where one could complete a law degree and a relevant Master’s degree together, in the space of four years.
“As I still had a strong thirst for knowledge, and needed a new direction in my life, this course appealed to me. I enrolled and thoroughly enjoyed completing the course. I worked at a small suburban firm for several months, but chose not to do articles, but rather to complete what I believe is now called the PLT course, which leads to admission as a solicitor.”
Upon admission, she was fortunate to start work as a family lawyer with Trilby Misso.
“I found the work to be very interesting, and I remained at that firm for approximately five years. After a short burst working for a country firm, I went to work as a family lawyer for Rhonda Penny Lawyers at Paddington, and remained there until I retired at age 66.”
Yvonne thanked husband Ralph for all his work.
However ‘the newly retired’ solicitor had started the Principal’s Course with QLS.
“And with that new qualification, I thought it would be a great idea to start my own firm, and make a little bit of ‘pin money’ from doing client work,” Yvonne said.
“It was such a thrill to get my first client! Clients kept coming and I needed an assistant, so I hired a young lady who was soon to be admitted. By this time, I had reached 67 years of age, and our house, whilst roomy, still felt crowded with the business operating there.
“I signed a shop lease for small premises in the Eatons Hill area. I could not have handled all the preliminary work such as supervising the fit-out, the telephone connections and installing all the tech devices. For all that initial and continued work following through, I sincerely thank my husband, Ralph. Ralph has worked tirelessly and uncomplainingly on all these background issues, to enable me to concentrate on client work.”
That close relationship with clients has continued.
“Over the years, many clients have stayed in touch with our firm, and it is always lovely to see them from time to time,” she said.
“I have never lost my enthusiasm for what I do, but when I reached the age of 80 this year, I chose to cut down the amount of case work that I manage, and try to incorporate one day off into each business week.
“I value and thank my staff, Lauren and Ashlee, and, again, my husband who does mail runs, urgent errands, and generally keeps the tech side of the business running.
“After 25 years of working in the profession, I still love the law, and value the friendships I have made with other lawyers. I am grateful to Queensland Law Society for their excellence in providing advice, guidance, and professional support.
“This awarding of a pin for 25 years of membership is a pleasant surprise to me, and I value it highly.”
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