11 Mar A Day In The Life Of A Private Client Solicitor
What does a day in the life of a private client solicitor look like?
Parmjit Johal, private client solicitor at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors provides an insight into a typical day.
Parmjit is a Senior Associate Solicitor in the Wills, Trust and Probate Department at HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors. She is based in its Hitchin office in Hertfordshire. She advises clients on a wide range of legal life matters such as Wills, Trusts, Probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection.
Parmjit lives in Letchworth Garden City with her husband Inder and their chocolate Labrador Daisy. She has three sons, aged 20, 22, and 24 years. They are also all currently living at home in the family bubble for lockdown 3.
06.30am – I’ll wake up and grab a coffee for myself and sort out breakfast for our dog, Daisy. The rest of the family will prepare their own breakfast too. My husband’s new priority is to turn the log burner on in his home office, aka the shed.
07.00am – I follow an aerobics workout online to help to give me an energy burst for the busy day ahead.
08.00am – 09.00am – With the essential work we do, it is still necessary to be in the office. Usually when I arrive at the office, I will grab a cup of coffee and login to check emails and prepare my schedule for the day. I will have at least two to three new client meetings each day and I will then spend the rest of the day moving forward with the work I’m doing for existing clients.
09.00am – 11.00am – I meet three new clients via video conference calls. Ordinarily new client meetings would be face to face, currently they are mostly virtual. It is important to have a chat with new clients about their circumstances so that we can advise them fully and get a true feel for their wishes and the reasons behind them.
11.00am – 12.00pm – I’m contacted by a client; whose father is in hospital and wants to change his Will urgently. Usually, I would go to the hospital to discuss their wishes and return again with the updated Will for signing. During the pandemic this is done via live video link. I advise the client during the video conference. I then work on the documents and organise a special delivery to my client’s home. Another video conference is arranged to witness the signings of the new Will.
12.00pm – 1.00pm – I chase up a few outstanding queries I had raised with the Probate Registry and the HMRC. I need information from them before I can move forward with actions on my side. Today is a good day, as I now have the details that I need.
1.00pm – 1.30pm – I nip out to get some lunch, usually a sandwich. I also take the opportunity to pick up anything that is needed for dinner that evening. My sandwich is usually eaten at my desk while I catch up with more emails.
1.30pm-5.00pm – My afternoon is spent drafting documents for my clients. This includes Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Trusts. I also draft a Personal Injury Trust for a client who wishes to protect the funds she was awarded, for her family in the future. My final documents for the day are forms to be sent to The Court of Protection to request a deputyship for a client so that they can make ongoing decisions for a relative with dementia.
5.00pm-5.30pm – I will pack up any documents that need to be completed before tomorrow morning so that I can work on them from home later.
5.30pm – I’ll leave the office to do a doorstep signing on my way home. This is a new addition to my day and solely pandemic related. If a Will is to be legally binding, it must be signed in the presence of two independent adult witnesses. Ordinarily we would do this at the office, but because of the lockdowns we have had to find new ways to work with our clients. We have been witnessing Will signings from doorsteps, over garden fences and through windows. It is an interesting time to be a Wills, Trusts and Probate solicitor.
To make an appointment with one of our Wills, Trusts and Probate Solicitors’ email info@hrjforemanlaws.co.uk or call Hitchin 01462 458711, Welwyn Garden City 01707 887 700.
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