Week in the Life of a Paralegal

Olivia Tait, Paralegal in our Family Team, shares a glimpse into a typical week in the life of a Paralegal.

Monday

I started my Monday by going through emails received over the weekend and clearing my inbox. This helps me to keep focused and ensure that tasks are completed before moving on.

The first thing on my to do list was to obtain quotes for alcohol and drug testing and availability of contact centres where supported contact could take place. This information was needed for an upcoming Court hearing and so it was important that I prioritised this.

I am usually the first point of contact for new enquiries. I speak with potential clients and discuss their needs and how we can assist. I always follow the telephone call up with an email attaching some guides which may be helpful. If we are to be instructed, I will open a new file and arrange an appointment with one of the solicitors to discuss the situation in more detail and next steps. I regularly join meetings as I assist the solicitor with the case and so I like to meet with the client and be involved from the start.

My last task of the day was to meet with a client who had instructed me to prepare change of name deeds for them. I met with the client and went through the deed with them to ensure they were happy with it before signing. Once the deed had been signed and witnessed, I provided them with certified copies so that they can be sent off to the relevant authorities.

Tuesday

Today I attended a networking event where I met other professionals. As a young and upcoming lawyer, I try to attend as many networking events as possible to meet new people and build professional relationships. I then made my way into the office where I started working through my to do list.

I chased the Court today on an urgent matter and passed the update onto the client. As the matter was urgent it was important for me to get a response from the Court today, even if that meant me sitting on the hold on the phone for 1 and a half hours!

I also arranged for a barrister to represent one of our clients at a hearing later in the year. It is important to reserve barristers in advance as they do get booked up quite quickly and we like to give the client the best choices. Clients will often rely on us to give information to help them choose a suitable barrister to represent them.

I finished the day by sitting in on a new client meeting where I took notes on the client’s situation and advice given. This helps me to understand the law in practice and how to apply it.

Wednesday

Today involved me responding to emails from clients with queries. I exchanged a position statement with another solicitor in readiness for a hearing. I forwarded the other solicitor’s statement to the client so that they could read the statement and raise any questions prior to the hearing.

I then spent the afternoon preparing a bundle for an upcoming Court hearing. Preparing a Court bundle takes a considerable amount of time as it must be indexed, in chronological order and paginated.  Once the bundle has been prepared, I will file it with the Court and serve it upon all parties in advance of the hearing. That bundle of documents is necessary so that no documents are missing or unavailable when needed during the hearing.  Everyone involved in the hearing must have a copy and the contents of the bundle are usually agreed in advance.  This assists the Court and makes the hearing time effective.

Thursday

Every week, the Family team have a department meeting where we discuss upcoming appointments, Court hearings and general updates on files. We also spend some time catching up and having a chat which always helps when we have had a stressful week!

I joined a webinar in the afternoon which was an introduction to Family law. I have been working in Family law for nearly a year now and am always looking for ways to help widen my knowledge of the law and practice and in turn this means I can continue to help clients to the best of my ability.

Friday

I spent today in Court supporting our client and assisting the barrister. Understandably clients’ emotions are high when at Court, so I try to support them as much as possible. Today’s hearing was in relation to a financial application; however. I attend Court for all different types of applications such as children applications and injunction proceedings. Hearings can sometimes be listed for 1 hour or several days. Attending Court is my favourite part of the job and gives me valuable experience which I can carry throughout my career!

Every day tends to be different and sometimes, the matters dealt with can include painful subjects and worrying aspects.  At the end of a busy week, it’s good to relax and try to forget about the working week so that I can start again after the weekend.  I enjoy what I do and look forward to building my experience for a future career in the law.