A good lawyer, an evil neighbour.
Meaning: Good legal advocates thrive when disputes arise, making them prosperous through others' conflicts and grievances.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
Equivalents in French and Spanish
- French: Bon avocat, mauvais voisin (literally: A good lawyer is a bad neighbour)
- Spanish: Buen abogado, mal vecino (literally: A good lawyer, a bad neighbour)
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