Have you ever wondered what your family law solicitor gets up to day to day? Do they spend all day rushing from court hearing to court hearing or is it all office work? Actually, it’s a bit of a mix of everything; some drafting, some court work, and a lot of time engaging with clients to provide them with advice and support.
In this post, Associate Solicitor, Anu Kurl, reveals what her working day typically looks like and how she balances her time to make sure all her clients’ needs are met.
Preparing for the day
My day usually starts between 8.30 and 8.45 am where I log into my emails to see any updates from the night before and deal with anything urgent that has come in that morning.
Around 9am I have a chat with my secretary so we can discuss the day ahead and look towards the week and any hearings or meetings we may have as well as the admin that needs to be looked at.
Meeting with clients
Usually at 10am I will have a meeting, often with a new client, so I spend time before this preparing and reading through the notes provided. It could be an early doors chat where someone wants to get advice, or they have just received some documentation in relation to matrimonial matters and don’t know what to do next.
Around 11am the new client appointment is finished and I will write up their notes and my secretary will send them our new client literature.
Client calls and drafting
From 12 to 2pm I am usually taking client calls and finalising Form E documents, drafting advice or offer letters. This involves spending time on each client file.
Attending court
2pm – Attending Court for a First Appointment, we have had a conference with the Barrister and client before the hearing so we are ready to hit the ground running. We try and see if we can negotiate with the other side but to no avail on this occasion, so we go before the Judge and receive directions for the FDR (Financial Dispute Resolution) Hearing which is likely to be at least a few months away. We briefly discuss the merits of a Private FDR and whether the other side will be interested.
More office work and admin to finish off the day
4.30pm – back to the office to check in with my Secretary who has a few telephone messages for me and I finalise the documents I was drafting over lunch to ensure they are ready to be sent to the clients for their approval. I also check my emails and ensure I deal with anything urgent and flag up any issues which I will need to deal with the following day.
6pm – leave the office and relax for the evening!
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