Partly because of the pandemic and perhaps because of years of chronic under-investment, the UK court system is under pressure. Case numbers are rising and the time taken for claims to reach trial is increasing year on year. More use of alternative dispute resolution is seen as a solution, so there is a proposal to make it compulsory in commercial disputes. We will consider the case for this and compare how compulsory mediation has worked in family matters where it has been a feature for nearly 10 years.

Matrimonial disputes and mediation

When it comes to job hunting, people get overwhelmed by the number of numerous strategies at their disposal. Some may send hundreds of applications to companies hiring employees, while others may reach out to acquaintances within the industry to help secure a job. Nonetheless, it all comes down to one thing – networking. Networking doesn’t mean pestering people with your problems. With limited time on our hands, it is only possible to network with a few people, especially those within your field. 

Personal and professional growth comes from acting in ways that support our health, values, and goals. Turning our awareness towards what we really want from life and doing things that make us happy enables us to live more authentically and in alignment with ourselves.

You may have developed unhealthy habits or have responsibilities which are holding you back. A great way to break free of these and develop a more positive way of being is to create a code of conduct for yourself. You can do this by making a list of directives you would like to follow. At first you can brainstorm anything which comes to mind, then you can go through your list and refine it, focusing on the things that really matter.

Here are some examples of directives for you:

Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Private Client Legal Secretary – Venn Group 

Location: Birmingham

Salary: Market Related

Legal 500 law firm based in Birmingham is seeking a motivated Legal Secretary to join their progressive Private Client department.

You will require you to have a professional and personable attitude whilst supporting multiple Fee Earners within the department. This role will require you to undertake diary and file management, liaise with clients and third parties, organise conference and meeting calls and file Wills and HMRC forms.

View the full job description here:           

Introducing, Dr Avi Bhangal

I am a legal assistant working at TLT LLP, a UK law firm headquartered in Bristol which was named Law Firm of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2021. Prior to this role I had completed my LLB/LPC/LLM/PhD at the University of Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire.

Whilst studying I had the opportunity to take part in many legal roles including a mini pupillage. 

Working at TLT LLP

In September I started work with TLT LLP working in the Financial Service Disputes and Investigations department. As this was during Covid-19, I was remote working but treated it as a normal working day with normal working hours. 

My day overview

Here is a selection of vacancies from our Legal Secretary Jobs Board this month:

Legal Secretary – TMJ Legal Services

Location: Wingate

Salary: To be agreed

An experienced Conveyancing Legal Secretary required to join a highly regarded and established solicitors’ firm. The successful applicant will be based at the Wingate office but would be expected to travel between the firm’s other offices, if required.

View the full job description here:           

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/213911/

Legal Secretary – TMJ Legal Services

Location: Hartlepool

Salary: To be agreed

With the cost of living continuing to rise and the colder months on the way, many of us will be worrying about our energy bills over winter and into next year. Those of us who continue to work from home will have the added concern of knowing that we need to ensure we have an efficient and comfortable space to work from during the day, as well as a snug and relaxed place to enjoy in our free time, without sending already high bills even higher.

So, what can we do if we cannot, or do not want, to return to an office to work. ILSPA have compiled our top tips for how to save energy whilst working from home.

1. Location, Location, Location

Registration for The PA Show Canary Wharf is now live, and you can apply for your pass today!

Following popular demand from the PA Community, we are excited to launch a new boutique edition of the popular PA Show on the 2 November at the East Wintergarden, Canary Wharf.

We look forward to welcoming London’s most elite PA’s, EA’s, VA’s, Secretaries and Legal Secretaries along with business and administrative professionals. This niche event will be enriched with great content and networking opportunities, with an impressive and carefully selected collection of exhibitors, including venues and corporate gifting. This is the perfect environment to network and source products and services just before Christmas.

What’s on at the show?

This is the third and final article this year on reforms to civil procedure where we will outline the Court’s expanding use of online case management systems.  

The digitisation of County Court processes has been evolving over several years. While the Damages Claims Portal (the Portal) has been described as a “pilot” since 4 April 2022, it has been mandatory for ‘damages only’ claims to be issued digitally by firms.

The saying "the eyes are the window to the soul" is a popular one. According to hiring experts, an interviewer can tell whether you are telling the truth or lying through eye contact, or lack of. Interviewers can often pay a lot of attention to your eyes and body language during an interview. This means that the importance of eye contact in non-verbal communication holds a great deal of importance.  

Eye contact in non-verbal communication.

Eye contact is a form of non-verbal communication that is particularly significant because most individuals rely on their vision more than any other sense. Your gaze might convey a variety of meanings to the person you are looking at, including attention, affection, hatred, or attraction.