There are not many solicitors who have the opportunity to utter the phrase 'it made perfect sense to employ my mother', but Neille Ryan, a partner at Kent firm Furley Page, is one of them.

His mother, Carole, decided to leave teaching and become a solicitor in 1977, but the cost and time of doing so, especially as she had two young children, meant she put the idea on ice.

However, in 1997, after Neille had entered the profession, she returned to college and gained her LLB.

After completing the legal practice course, she spent three years as a caseworker with Canterbury Housing Advice Centre, a year of which the Law Society counted towards her training.

But with time running out to gain the other year, a position became available in Furley Page's personal injury team, working on miners' cases.

So what do you do when your mother applies for a job? It could make Christmas dinner a bit awkward if you turned her down.

Mr Ryan explained: 'It made perfect sense to employ my mother.

I needed the assistance and mum needed the experience.

I knew that mum was more than capable of carrying out the work.' Mr Ryan was unable to comment further as he had been sent to bed without any supper for not cleaning under his nails.