In this computer age where working life is constantly interrupted by the pinging of emails, it is nice to know that the trusty dictaphone is still a survivor, and indeed it seems to be having the last laugh. Jo Summers, principal at London firm PWT Advice, recalls some amusing dictaphone errors, and asks whether other lawyers have had similar gigglesome experiences. She says: ‘As a private client lawyer, I’m used to dictating the words "forced heirship rules" only to get a "forced airship" back from the secretary/typist. An interesting image. I was also most amused as a trainee by the senior partner who shouted so loudly into his dictation device that his secretary, sitting in the corridor outside his room, could type the whole letter before the tape was brought out to her.

‘However, the best must be from when I was a very young lawyer, still a little scared of using the dictaphone, so enunciating everything extremely clearly. I finished a letter to a client saying that I looked forward to seeing him in the near future. When I got the typed letter back from the even younger junior secretary, it said, "I look forward to seeing you in the New Futre". Puzzled, I eventually plucked up courage to ask what on earth a "New Futre" was, only to get the reply: "Oh I thought it was a pub!".

Send your dicta-bloopers to obiter@lawsociety.org.uk.