One of the big attractions to being a flexible-working consultant solicitor is that you are not stuck with a ‘ 9-5+’ office routine. Each day can be completely different, and that’s one of the joys of being a consultant; you simply work around your lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong, client work is not easier or less time-consuming, but I can choose when it’s done, to best suit the clients and me. Some days are long and arduous in order to meet deadlines, but others are short, sometimes allowing me to go to gym classes, pick my daughter up from school or going out for the afternoon. I can even choose where I work.
So we’ve that in mind, here is how a typical Thursday pans out for me.
7am – Wake up & get ready for the day. Whether I’m working from home or elsewhere, my morning routine is always the same: get up, breakfast and coffee and then dress for the day to get me into a good work mind-set. I tend to do a quick check of my emails and respond to anything urgent that’s come up.
8.10am – School run! Now that they are older, there’s less to organise, but, having teenagers means that they do sometimes have to be cajoled out of bed and out of the house. Delivering children to their respective schools and on time can be a big achievement for the day.
9am – As it’s Thursday I shall be working from a local, friendly residential care home. I get on really well with the manager and we are currently engaging with the local community by having me work in a quiet corner of the home all day. I can make use of the home’s wifi using a virtual private network, which allows me to do my normal day job, just in different surroundings. However, it means that I can interact with the residents and their families, as well as the staff. This has proved to be a really good way of engaging with people and generating interest and work.
10.30am – I am able to see clients in a private room, so spend some time guiding a new resident’s attorneys through a checklist of things to do to ensure that their loved one’s finances are properly protected and used for their benefit.
11.45am – I’ve finished with my client, so, having checked my emails, I pack up and head off to the gym where I have a spin class booked.
1pm – Class complete, I’ve showered, and am feeling energised. Back at the residential home, I log back in and work through lunch, calling clients and get a good few hours of work in. I’m not on school pick up duty today so I have a full 4 hour’s uninterrupted time.
5.30pm – We’ve all made it home safely and I can catch up on how everyone’s days went. Personally, one of the biggest benefits of being a consultant solicitor has been the flexibility to spend more time with my family. The ability to be more on hand for school runs, dentist appointments and just spending more time as a family has been invaluable.
7pm – Dinner time. We tend to take cooking in turns and today I have created a culinary masterpiece which is demolished by the girls. However, it’s really nice to spend some time eating together as a family at the dinner table.
8pm – Last check at my emails for the day, and get up to speed with anything that’s on the agenda for tomorrow. 10 minutes or so later I log-off and enjoy the evening relaxing, catching up on the latest Netflix series that caught my attention.