Life as a private practice family law solicitor

I start every day at 8:30am.

I keep the first 30 minutes of my day free from appointments to start going through my inbox.

I’ll deal with any quick tasks and delegate other tasks to paralegals and trainees, that could include chasing invoices, dealing with Counsel or third party fee notes, or non-complex queries raised by clients on their cases (particularly if they relate to divorce).

If there’s something I want to deal with myself – such as a complex matter, a demanding client or a delicate or sensitive case that requires particular attention, I’ll put time in the diary later in the day.

There’s no expectation to work beyond 5pm, so if we get a message at the weekend, we can wait to deal with it. Obviously if something urgent comes up that day, like a protective injunction against someone for harassment, I will work until that’s done. I gauge from my inbox what is time-sensitive and what may benefit from interaction out of hours, which is a great benefit to managing your caseload.

There are rare cases where you would make an exception and would likely need to drop everything, such as international child abduction, but thankfully I’ve only come across those once or twice in five years.

The reason I love family law is because every day is different.

Some days I’m looking at documents for seven hours, and other days I’m with clients all day. The best type of day is when you can go through a little bit of everything!

So, my days really fluctuate, but I do have general preferences; I like having meetings on office days because I’m already alert and in a social sphere. Onerous periods of reading or drafting, I much prefer to be at home where quiet is a guarantee.

I try to schedule appointments in the afternoon so I can use the morning to prepare. After 4.30pm, I like to use the time to review the day and scan my inbox.

At university, there was a moment I questioned why I was studying law.

For a long time, I really wanted to do environmental law because I care about environmental causes such as animal agriculture and climate change, but it was so different from what I expected.

When I finally got the chance to study family law during my Legal Practice Course, I loved it. I did my whole training contract in family law, so when I qualified, it felt like what I’d always been aiming for.

I don’t think I’d ever leave family law now – things don’t usually just click for me, but this really did.

To be a family lawyer, you need a thick skin.

Nobody wants to speak to a divorce lawyer. Many clients don't even want to speak to family or friends about it. It's just a horrible time for them. That's why they need a human being to talk to - because they don't know what to do.

Initially, I was caught off guard how much we have to go through – it’s normal for me to have someone crying on the phone. Some may say it’s quite a negative job, but it means the good outcomes are that much better.

The most challenging thing is client management.

I’ve represented abusers and hostile parents, you need to be objective and remind yourself you can only do your best with a challenging client.

Sometimes I’d love to put myself in their place and manage the case for them. It is hard to avoid interfering to a degree, but the case you are dealt must run its course in accordance with your instructions.

The most rewarding thing is to be that person for clients who don’t think there’s anyone out there.

Everyone’s got a friend who’s divorced, who says they are struggling for time with the kids or they might lose the house. Some people think we’re just here to get all the money we can, so it’s great when I can build a rapport with someone and see their case succeed.

Sometimes, you'll come to the end of the case and your client will say, "It's so weird. We've spoken every day for two years and now we're not going to anymore". I have to remind them that's a good thing.

At the firm, we work as a team.

If I need to set a boundary with a client, for example if they’re calling me every ten minutes, seniors are really helpful at stepping in. I still find that clients can take a senior lawyer more seriously than me. They’re also always there to help me if there’s something serious to file or if I’m in a mess over something.

The job is demanding and high pressure, but that’s not what I focus on every day.

The most difficult part of my whole career was being a trainee. I found the constant amendments and knockbacks frustrating, but if you take advantage of your training, the job gets easier and also helps you avoid complaints in the future.

Persevere: don’t think that’s how your job is going to be forever, because the pressure does drop off.

My advice to students is to get as much experience as you can, not just in the legal sector.

I worked at a bar all through university. Until third year, I wasn’t even thinking about a job in law.

Skillwise, it gave me so much, from dealing with angry clients and problem solving to learning from mistakes and dealing with criticism.

You need those skills to survive in family law. If you get a legal opportunity, that’s amazing but it’s great to get a different job where you’re going to build yourself up as a person.

Looking forward in my own career, I’m thinking about becoming an associate solicitor as I certainly enjoy the more complex cases that come my way.

I’m preparing for that which means being more aware of the business side of things, billing, compliance and making sure clients are happy. All in a day’s work!