I call my lawyer Matt but I don't call my doctor Peggy.

They mostly project chumminess. You meet them, they're going to shake your hand and call you by first name. I'm not sure why, but that's how they do it, and I don't mean just the original introduction.

Well, I don't know if they greet women with the glad hand sticking out there, or not. I always give ladies the chance to stick out their hands, or not.

I was thinking it might be chumminess. You have to spill some stuff to your lawyer. They "know stuff" about you.

But really, not as much as your doctor does.

Yes, but maybe with a doctor you want to keep things on a clinical level.

As an afterthought, maybe you and your lawyer perceive a need to present a united front to the opposition.

Perhaps that's it.

I've never really had an "opposition" in legal matters.

I have, however, had opposition in medical matters -- mostly insurance based. My doctor was truly my ally. I would never have dreamed of calling her Peggy even though she's about my age and I think we'd probably be friends if we'd met under different circumstances. I can't say the same for my lawyer.

That's funny. I actually did consider my last lawyer to be a friend, but we met and got acquainted when he taught a literature class at the community college. I do wish he hadn't retired.

I have several friends that are doctors and lawyers. But they aren't MY doctors or lawyers.

I also know a few architects that I wish would be my architect. Architects seem to be the most "I don't work for friends" people around.

Some of them have doctorates but they aren't called Doctor either.

Interesting.
I had the same doctor for some 30 years and we got to a first name basis. Lawyers I Always address as Mr., Mrs., Ms. or whatever title they use. My former doctor is now a lawyer and I refer to him as Dr. in business convsrsations. My landlady is always Miss, even though she now uses my first name.

hunh a bunch of us used to have the same g.p. we always called her dirrrrr Jane
I call my dentist and g.p.'s by their first name
Medical specialists - I'll say doctor when we're first introduced, then it's their first name.

I wouldn't consider calling someone with a non-medical doctorate dr. anything unless I was introducing them in a panel or something similar (and I needed to switch up how I described them)

I call my doctor Chris.

I don't call my lawyer because I can't afford one

Well, welcome back, B.S.

I had another inspiration last night. Maybe lawyers tend to be really insecure and in need of friends. Somebody sticks out their hand and calls you by your first name, it seems incredibly rude to decline the handshake. See, they just don't know how to make friends.

My neighbor's dog is the same. Get within range of his lead and he will jump all over you. Poor creature just doesn't know how to make friends.

I wonder if I called my doctor Peggy if she'd even react.

Is this honorific outdated?

Wouldn't correct you, but you might notice some reaction. Kind of like breaking out of the friend zone. Sort of.

Borat Sister!

I can't afford one either, don't get me going.

I call my doctor friends by their names, natch. The doctors I've worked with, or social with -- I have to think about that. My boss was Leonard, or, Goldberg in conversation with others (he is also a writer and his med thrillers are pretty good. I can hear his voice in them. Some of us were semi hemi demi part of it. My copies are just about to go to Goodwill; or maybe not..)

A few of us girlfriends trod a few beach miles to Manhattan Beach. Audrey with a leg in cast; Audrey is a whole 'nother story, re spirit. She was the ballast of our going into that bar, though we all were thirsty. I was introduced to a guy I liked and vice versa. Anyway, he wasn't in our work mainstream, another place. Dear lover, long story. We used first names.

I remember one doctor, funniest man on earth, Mike Derechin, if I'm spelling it right. We called him Derechin. Big on wonderful dog stories, I can still picture him describing his shepherd and the burglar. I fuzzily think he might have first been a lit major. He was a resident passing through but sparked up our lives in the lab. I think he is still in practice, when I looked on the internet.

My regular life doctors, we talk mostly by formal mode in sort of a relaxed way, though not on the first visit. My eye surgeon (the good one) gave me his email, which is informal, so I think of him as Bob.

Boom, given you are two are who you are, it might be possible to discuss - dunno.