A solicitor firm with offices in Wigton and Carlisle is preparing to say goodbye to one of the Senior Directors as he is set to retire.

Atkinson Ritson will wish Peter Yardley luck as he steps down from his role after 36 years with the company this month.

Mr Yardley is a graduate from University of Leeds, qualifying with a degree in LLB (Hons). He qualified as a solicitor in 1979 and has previously held the position of President of the Carlisle and District Law Society.

Discussing his time as a solicitor, Mr Yardley said: “I have been in the legal profession since the mid 1970’s. I joined Atkinson and North Solicitors in Carlisle in 1985 which merged with Hetherington Ritson of Wigton in 1992 to become Atkinson Ritson. Having covered most areas of legal work since admission as a solicitor I’m probably one of the last general practitioners which has made for an interesting career. For the past ten years I have been principal operating from our Wigton office.”

The main areas of work Peter focused on during his time with the company include agricultural, commercial and business sales, commercial property and house sales and purchases.

Speaking about the changes to representing clients over the years, including the last 18 months with Covid, Mr Yardley said: “The provincial High Street solicitors’ practice has fundamentally changed over my career with practitioners increasingly specialising in areas of the Law as opposed to general practice, together with an almost total reliance on IT without which it would have been impossible to conduct business and continue serving clients throughout the pandemic.”

A resident of Carlisle, Mr Yardley is married with family. His interests include mountaineering, skiing, sailing, golf, cycling and tennis.

When asked what he will be looking forward to doing once he retires, Mr Yardley answered: “After 45 years in the profession I’m now looking forward to having the time to explore more of our country and overseas, and the opportunity to pursue many of my interests.”

Atkinson Ritson continue to offer a friendly and personal service with the aim of resolving or concluding a matter as efficiently as possible and in the best interests of the client.