Setting goals is an important part of building a long and successful legal career. For many, the ultimate goal as a Legal Professional is to secure a position with one of the biggest legal firms in the City, working on high-profile clients and gaining seniority in a competitive field.

However, increasingly, many people in the legal sector are seeking a good work-life balance as one of their key goals, and may be looking for more control. Joining a boutique firm can offer these benefits, as well as many of the same advantages as working for a City firm, and can be considered as a viable alternative.

The rise of boutique law firms

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Please note:

The long-anticipated era of “no-fault” divorce came into force on 6 April 2022, nearly two years after the passing of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act.

Under the new system, couples will no longer need to make allegations about the conduct of a spouse. Instead, either one or both spouses will be able to make a statement that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. This statement will be enough to prove that the marriage has come to an end and will allow the Court to make a Divorce Order.

Some civil disputes could be characterised as emotionally charged, but few are as contentious and hard fought as matters involving the home. This month we have two examples of highly contested cases and a call from the court for compulsory ADR.

First, we will consider a boundary dispute over 17 inches of land where the legal costs ran to over £200,000. These figures speak for themselves, but if you had any doubt, the circuit judge who heard the case confirmed that the cost was “beyond my comprehension.” He was also critical of the fact that both parties wanted the claim to be heard in the multi-track (reserved for claims worth more than £25,000) when it was a small claim (i.e. valued at less than £10,000, where costs would have been limited).

Last month, over 9 million people across the world came together to show their care for our planet’s future. By switching off their lights for an hour at 8.30 p.m., they demonstrated that small actions can make a big difference. During the darkened hour, people sat by candlelight and had the opportunity to reflect on how they could reduce their impact further.

Those lucky enough to work remotely at the start of the COVID-19 era were able to keep themselves and their companies going, despite the intense pressures of that challenging time. 

This shift to remote work fundamentally changed how we use IT. Use of Zoom increased by 30x in April 2020 as meetings moved online. Slack workspaces proliferated. And corporate spending on cloud services grew by nearly 40%.

It increasingly seems that many of these changes will remain in place, as the pandemic continues and organisations appreciate the benefits of keeping at least a partial remote footing.

When was the last time you made an effort to catch up on your filing? Last month? Last summer?

Many times, we struggle with filing because it feels overwhelming, we’re not sure where to begin or we don’t have an efficient system in place.

Filing can be inconvenient and time-consuming. However, this is often because you don’t have the right tools or supplies to quickly grab a folder and create a label.

Filing usually means getting up from your desk, walking to a supply cabinet, locating the file folders, walking back to your desk, typing a label, feeding the label sheet into the printer, retrieving the label from the printer and finally assembling the file. It’s no wonder we resist it!

But there are ways to simplify your filing system. Here are two quick tips.

One of the many exciting aspects of working as a Legal Secretary is the fact that there is so much possibility for career progression. Experienced Legal Secretaries can become executives in their own right, but many also choose to move on to roles such as that of a Paralegal. Making the decision to move forward into a new role such as this is both exciting and rewarding, but you would be forgiven for feeling slightly daunted about beginning. You have made a successful career as a Legal Secretary, so how can you take that next step up to become a Paralegal? And how can you make sure that you stand out in a sea of other legal professionals and law graduates?

The law is not something we have to actively go looking for – it governs our daily lives. Thus, those interested in the subject can use a variety of tactics to become more familiar with it.

In partnership with Lawyer Monthly, ILSPA partner Simply Law hears from John Watkins, Director of Employability at The University of Law, on the five best ways to get started in law.

Attend court

Courts are publicly accessible, and there is a gallery from which to observe proceedings. This will open your eyes to the culture of a courtroom and perhaps develop an awareness that television dramas don’t quite convey the full picture. 

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

Wills & Probate Legal Secretary – Green Wright Chalton Annis     

Location: Rustington

Salary: £22,000 - £24,000    

Green Wright Chalton Annis is looking to recruit a Legal Secretary/PA to join their friendly, busy and growing Wills and Probate team at the Rustington office.  Experience of working in a law firm is essential and knowledge/experience of Wills and Probate would be very useful.

View the full job description here:           

https://www.institutelegalsecretaries.com/jobs/candidate/job/196583/

Conveyancing Legal Secretary – Adams Harrison