yesterday announced the ending of a ten-year partnership as the firm of Browne & Wade.

But the break-up will only be temporary if Mr. Wade, leader of the Opposition Progressive Labour Party, is not elected the next Premier.

The dissolution of Browne & Wade is taking place to make way for a new legal partnership involving other local lawyers as well as the old partners, Mr.

Wade and Mrs. Browne Evans said in a joint statement.

It is understood one of the lawyers will be Mr. Arthur Hodgson of the firm Richards, Francis and Francis.

Mr. Hodgson is a major shareholder of Abbot Holding Company Ltd., which recently bought the Court Street building where Browne & Wade's offices are.

Neither Mr. Wade nor Mrs. Browne Evans would confirm whether Mr. Hodgson would be part of the new partnership. They also declined to name any of the other proposed partners.

They did say in the statement: "The new group who have taken over the Browne & Wade premises intend to demolish the present building and erect a new premises which will see a whole new legal partnership emerge involving the old partners and others.'' Mr. Wade said he was planning ahead in the event his party wins the next general election, which must be called by next February.

"I could be Premier next week,'' he said. "If that happens then I won't be a very good partner because of the time it would take away from my legal practice.'' Mr. Wade is setting up a one-man practice in the DeCouto and Dunstan Building on the corner of Victoria and Parliament Streets.

But if there are no changes in his political career, he plans to rejoin Mrs.

Browne Evans -- the former Opposition Leader -- when the new partnership is set up.

In the meantime Mrs. Browne Evans will continue to work out of the firm's offices at 65 Court Street until demolition starts.

"I have no plans to retire,'' she said, adding she had just turned 65 and planned to "keep going until I'm 75''.

Mrs. Browne Evans and Mr. Wade first began working together in 1978 when Mr.

Wade worked as a junior in the firm. He assisted her in the famous murder trial of Larry Tacklyn, which ended in his being hanged for the Shopping Centre murders.

But Mrs. Browne Evans helped win an acquittal for Tacklyn on the Government House murders.

Mr. Wade said the case was his most memorable, having just returned from law school and feeling very fortunate to get to work on such a significant case.