Is Legal The Right Career Path For Me: A Day In The Life Of A Solicitor

 

It’s easy to see why working in law is a common career path. It’s a universal industry with opportunities all over the world, and more often than not, these opportunities pay pretty darn well. But there’s more to life than your salary, and if you are considering becoming a solicitor then you’ll need to be certain that this is the right decision for you. In this article, we’ll cover what a typical day in the life of a solicitor looks like to help you determine whether or not this is the right career path for you.

9AM - 10AM

Your day probably starts in a similar way to most corporate roles. Expect to be checking emails, planning for any daily meetings and just generally being on top of any overnight changes to your clients. The best solicitors will probably use this time to keep on top of any changes to the law too; it’s imperative that you are always offering up to date, accurate advice to your clients.

10AM - 12PM

Once you’ve settled into your day, you can get on with the more important tasks. As a solicitor, you’ll spend a lot of time meeting and communicating with clients. This could be in person, over the phone or over a video call.

The agenda for your meetings will depend on the type of legal advice you are offering. As you’re probably aware, solicitors come in various shapes and sizes. One solicitor may be offering advice around a divorce while someone working for a personal injury solicitor like Bond Turner is more likely to be discussing an accident at work.

It’s also worth noting that your meetings won’t always be with clients. For example, a property solicitor will need to have conversations with estate agents and mortgage brokers to resolve contractual queries.

12PM - 2PM

You’ll quickly find that there’s no such thing as a typical day in the life of a solicitor. How you spend your time in the afternoon is often determined by the outcome of your morning meetings. Although it’s a common cliche, in the legal world, no two days truly are the same.

Your afternoons could be spent gathering evidence around a case, writing up a contract, contacting third parties. Oh, and you’ll need to find some time to squeeze some lunch into your day too!

2PM - 4PM

By the time you get to the late afternoon, there’s no point even planning your day. So many different issues will pop up throughout the day that this time will probably be spent putting out unexpected fires or catching up on tasks that got away from you in the morning.

As you’ve probably gathered, time management and organisation skills are vital assets to an aspiring solicitor. Solicitors are paid handsomely to handle clients’ cases, so they expect you to have everything under control.

4PM - 5PM

Wrapping up for the day usually involves replying to any afternoon emails or returning any missed calls. Like many other professions, many solicitors will also end the day by putting a plan together for the following day. Finally, don’t assume that your day finishes at 5pm!