The last few months have been a precarious time for the vast majority of people in the UK. And with significant changes in the legal sector, many employees have felt a degree of uncertainty around the future of their career.

The realities of the furlough scheme coming to an end are now being realised, and for some legal employees, this will, unfortunately, mean redundancy.

But while some areas and some practices have been hit hard, others are flourishing.

Today, we look at what legal employees who are currently facing redundancy should be focusing on now.

Let’s start with some positivity.

The New Job Mindset

A positive mindset is critical when job seeking, so the first thing that it is essential to remember is that it’s not you that is being made redundant; it’s your role.

There has been so much change, contraction and growth in different areas that there will be inevitable redundancies in some practices as employers try to make sense of the new market.

Legal employees who ‘go it alone’, rather than work with a recruiter, run the risk of losing momentum. This can leave you feeling isolated and discouraged, especially when your job applications aren’t garnering you many responses.

My first piece of advice for a legal candidate facing redundancy is to start working with a legal recruiter as soon as possible. They will be able to provide the career support that you need right now.

So if your position has recently become redundant, there is good news – there are opportunities out there – let’s look at where they are.

Retraining

One of the first things to consider is if you can retrain in a different legal specialism.

While this might not be the easiest path or the first choice for some individuals, for those that take advantage of the opportunity now could enjoy great benefits.

For example, you might have specialised in personal injury law, and have been operating in this field for some years.

But the market is now changing.

Legal firms are increasingly in need of employees trained in the areas which have boomed since the pandemic struck – property, family and employment law being the main three.

And this isn’t a short-sighted career move. Adding another string to your bow is always a good idea career-wise, and it makes perfect sense to do it now when there are talent shortages in these critical areas.

If you are thinking about changing your legal specialism, there are a few ways you can get started.

First, look for a mentor in your chosen field – this can be a difficult task, but once you find someone who you trust and who can help you shape your career path the way you want, they will be invaluable to you. This can be someone from your chosen field within your current company, or you can reach out to sector specialists on LinkedIn or during trade webinars or seminars, with physical networking not a possibility at this time.

Then take advantages of any courses you can enrol in to bring you closer to your chosen specialism, you can also self-study and work on extra certificates outside working hours – there are lots of online courses available.

If you feel comfortable discussing your chosen career goal with your current employer and feel that they will support you in your chosen field, you can always ask them if they will allow you time to train on the job in another department of the firm.

So let’s look a little closer at the areas in where the opportunities are right now.

Property

As with many unprecedented situations the pandemic caused, the mortgage and rent holidays that were put in place by the government have created a boom in property law.

With the ban on evictions being lifted on 20th September 2020, there is an estimated 55,000 tenants in England who are at risk of being evicted due to falling behind with rent payments.

There is going to be a vast increase in roles in practices that deal with property disputes. And this is set to continue for many months and possibly even years.

Staying with property, the backlog of conveyancing that was caused by the house-move ban has yet to be cleared, which has created more opportunities for growth in this sector.

This, coupled with the fact that the pandemic seems to have inspired many people to move house – a rise of 15.6% in August – practices with property specialisms have never been busier.

Family

Family law is another area where we have seen a significant increase in opportunities.

There has been a so-called ‘divorce boom’ fuelled by lockdown. The Citizens Advice website saw a 25% increase in divorce guidance searches in September compared to last year.

The BBC recently spoke to family lawyer Georgina Chase, who commented that 30% of matrimonial enquiries she had received had been from couples separating because of relationship issues being exacerbated due to lockdown.

A new survey by Scottish Law firm MHA Henderson Loggie has predicted lawyers specialising in commercial dispute resolution and family law are anticipating an increase in workload due to Covid-19.

MHA Legal director Christine Rolland commented “It is not known how the courts will cope with the backlog of cases on top of the expected number of new cases over the next 6 months.”

So family law is another area that is crying out for legal talent right now.

Employment

Employment law is another area which is seeing a drastic increase in the wake of Covid-19.

There have been changes to employment law due to the pandemic, with many issues in this field yet to be resolved.

Many employment tribunal issues to do with redundancy and furlough are all set to come through the courts in the coming months, with social distancing measures only adding to the delay.

As of late August 2020, there were 39,000 individual employment claims waiting to be heard according to the Ministry of Justice figures.

And with the furlough scheme coming to an end in October, there is expected to be an even greater surge in cases as employees take legal action against their employers over what they believe to be unfair redundancy.

Barry Clarke, the president of employment tribunals in England and Wales, said he expects the backlog to continue to rise. He said this “would pose huge challenges to the ability of the [employment tribunal] to deliver justice within a reasonable time, which deeply troubled him”.

Conciliation service Acas received 33,000 calls in regards to redundancy in June and July this year, an increase of 169% on last year.

As you can see, there is a lot of work to be done in this area of law, and practices with this specialism are looking for talent to help clear the backlog.

Private Client

During this time, if you haven’t before, it might be time to consider working with private clients on cases to start to build your own private client portfolio.

Private clients are an international growth industry which can be an extremely good career move for a solicitor to consider.

If you have excellent interpersonal skills, and it is your ambition to work closely with your clients to provide the best outcomes for individuals you have built an excellent relationship with, then becoming a private client solicitor could be for you.

Private client opportunities are currently booming, so now is a great time to make a career change into this area of law if you think you’ve got what it takes.

Looking at the Positives

Facing redundancy can feel daunting, but it is crucial to think of the opportunities that a new role can bring.

You have the chance to work with a legal recruiter to find a role that fits exactly the direction you want your legal career to be going in.

If you aren’t sure about the direction of your legal career and would like to explore the options that are available to you right now, get in contact with us here.

A Different Location?

Finally, expanding your job search is another way to increase your options.

In your legal career so far, your work might have focused around one particular town or area, and this is understandable if you have family ties.

But for anyone with the opportunity to do so, looking to expand your job search into areas you hadn’t previously considered is a great way to increase your job prospects.

If you are searching for a new legal role in the North West – get in touch with us today by calling 0121 259 121, click here to view our current vacancies or click here to send us an email with your legal career enquiry.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

There’s no escaping the fact that we are living in a post-pandemic world, and the impact this could have on your legal career aspirations.

While some parts of life are slowly returning to normal, other areas have changed forever.

The government have borrowed an unprecedented £400bn to tackle the predicted recession, as some sectors struggle to retain jobs.

But in the legal sector, the picture is different.

With the industry faring well, many legal jobs are secure, as many roles in this sector exist to offset the challenges brought about by periods of economic downturn. After the fallout of a recession, businesses need lawyers with the right skills to help them pick up the pieces.

As more and more data is coming out of our sector on where the opportunities are arising, I thought I would update the blog with the latest information on where the jobs will be as we move forward.

First, let’s take a look at where we were in terms of jobs in the legal sector pre-Covid.

The UK’s Legal Skills Shortage

I have written about the skills shortage on this blog before, but it is still a pertinent problem in the UK legal sector. The skills gap has increased since I last wrote about this topic a couple of years ago.

There will be a predicted four per cent decline in lawyers in the UK by 2027 as AI threatens roles. The number of entrants into the profession is failing to keep up with demand, according to a report published last year.

So, considering this, what does the skills shortage mean for you as a legal candidate? It means that now is the time to take advantage of the many career prospects in the sector. Let’s take a closer look at where these prospects lie.

How Has the Pandemic Affected Jobs and the Economy?

Of course, the financial implications of Covid-19 are yet unknown, being unlike anything we have seen before, but economists have not been able to ignore echoes of the 2008 recession.

The fact remains that this recession is different.

Legislation brought in by the government to stop the spread of coronavirus forced the fiscal cogs to stop turning; they didn’t grind to halt of their own accord due to a weak economic environment.

Jobs in the legal sector have not been as severely affected as in other industries; there has been displacement rather than blanket reduction. Firms with a range of different specialisms are looking to refocus and reorder their teams, with some specialisms shrinking, and others increasing to meet market demand.

So where are we seeing the opportunities arising?

Post-Pandemic Litigation

The biggest risk factor for businesses now in the aftermath of Covid-19 is the increased numbers of companies unable or unwilling to fulfil contracts. This has created an increased need for lawyers with the right skills and experience in dispute and litigation; we already see increased opportunities in the rise in these types of vacancies.

Pre-Covid, legal contracts were protected by force majeure clauses, which protected either parties’ obligations and liability in the event of unusual interruptions. If these clauses are not in place, it can be the case that legal contracts are not fulfilled – increasing the demand for both litigation and dispute lawyers.

Supply chain is one area that has been particularly affected by the exceptional circumstances brought about by Covid-19. In March, a study by the Institute For Supply Chain Management found that nearly 75 per cent of all companies surveyed reported supply chain disruptions in one form or another. It will perhaps be many months before the full extent of the failure of contracts is unearthed, and therefore plenty of opportunities for dispute and litigation lawyers to be employed in resolving these issues.

In April, there was a 40% drop in legal vacancies on the yearly average. However, the drop in litigation and dispute resolution was only 32%, showing that demand for these skills remains higher than in other areas of law.

Looking Forward: Post-Pandemic and Brexit Implications

As the UK legal sector is proving to be in a strong position for growth and job opportunities as we move forwards, not even Brexit uncertainty which was affecting plenty of other industries seems to be able to halt the growth.

Brexit fell off the radar in recent months as the pandemic dominated the headlines. Still, as the December deadline approaches, businesses are now focusing on how the UK’s departure from the EU will impact them.

But confidence in the UK legal sector has remained high throughout, with many firms pre-Covid looking to replace overseas leavers and strengthen their teams with the best talent that will take them past the Brexit deadline.

Job Opportunities for Legal Employees

Just because 2020 was put on hold by the pandemic, this does not mean that legal career opportunities have been similarly affected.

Commercial and civil litigation have been almost unaffected by the pandemic, as well as dispute resolution, all of which have experienced virtually no change in opportunities. The main area which we have seen a negative impact is of course, in property law, but a mini-boom in house prices could be the first indication that vacancies in these areas will shortly be back to the yearly average.

At Clayton Legal, we have a wide range of opportunities for legal employees; we can start working with you on your next career move today.

Click here to view our current vacancies or get in touch with us here to have a discussion about the next steps in your legal career with one of our career experts.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help.  Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

As we enter into a post-pandemic world, you might be thinking about what this means for the future of your legal career.

In uncertain economic times, it can be more challenging for candidates to locate the same great career opportunities, especially if navigating the recruiting landscape alone.

Many legal employees don’t realise the range of recruitment services out there; others aren’t aware of the advantages of working with a dedicated legal recruiter to find their next role.

If you’re a legal employee currently thinking ‘what next?’, today I want to share how working with a dedicated recruiter, rather than a general recruitment agency, will be the key to unlocking legal career opportunities you didn’t know were possible.

CV Preparation

A lot of job seekers think that working with a recruitment agency means sending your CV, which then may or may not be sent out to employers with current vacancies. While this might be the case for certain recruitment agencies, a dedicated legal recruitment consultancy will be able to provide you with bespoke CV amendments, free of charge before we even consider sending your CV onto the right company for you.

Your CV is your best tool in securing a new role, but the truth is that many CVs that get sent to recruiters need amending if they are going to communicate how good you are.

As recruiters, we work with countless legal CV every day, so we know the type of CVs which get attention from employers, as opposed to the ones which are less likely to make an impact.

Using this knowledge, we can work with you to help tailor your CV to specific roles and specific employers you are hoping to target – we can improve your CV to give you a better chance of landing your new role, and all without a charge attached.

Flexible Legal Roles to Fit: Locum Positions

Covid-19 has changed the way we live and work.

The UK furlough scheme has proved successful in protecting jobs, and we are yet to see confirmation of any lasting significant economic downturn.

But this does not mean job roles and working arrangements will not be altered. We have already experienced an increased number of the workforce working from home, or on reduced contracts, and the introduction of job sharing.

We specialise in finding legal candidates roles that suit their current situation. That could be a part-time role to fit around your newly changed schedule (to account for a partner now working from home) or locum positions for individuals who have unfortunately been made redundant.

We understand that the pandemic has caused a lot of uncertainty in some fields of the legal landscape, which is potentially affecting careers in these areas. We are here to help find you the legal role that you need right now, which will help you with your wider career goals.

Unlocking Hidden Opportunities

Using a legal recruiter to find your next role will open opportunities that you would otherwise not be able to access.

It is a fact of recruitment that 80% of jobs are not advertised.

The legal network in the North West is tight-knit, and with over 20 years of experience in this sector, we can provide opportunities for legal candidates that they wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to be considered for.

Your recruitment journey with Clayton Legal starts when you tell us about your career aspirations. We can then use our extensive network to identify where the opportunities are for you, we then make these enquiries for you and put you in touch with the right people, arranging interviews and helping you prepare.

Our goal is to find you the ideal role using our industry connections – we provide career consultancy, as opposed to recruitment ‘agencies’ who just send volumes of CVs out to multiple firms.

Which leads me onto our free legal career consultancy service, and how it will benefit you.

Legal Career Consultancy – For Free

There is an increasing number of recruitment companies in the UK who claim to all do the same thing – this can be overwhelming for candidates, and quite frankly it isn’t true.

As a legal candidate, it is essential to differentiate between a recruitment agency versus a recruitment consultancy. And in addition the level of expertise and experience they have in the legal sector.

The critical difference is that a consultancy will provide you with a far more complete, tailored service.

Using a recruitment consultancy local to your area is also a pivotal point to consider. Some agencies recruit locally, but they do not have an in-depth knowledge of key localised legal firms. Making a career decision without a full understanding of the sector can negatively affect your career plans. If you act without true expert advice, you might not realise this until it is too late.

And considering that both agencies and consultancies are free, why wouldn’t you choose to use a complete, customised service?

Next Steps?

Choosing which recruitment company to work with should be a highly personal decision, and you should only work with a legal recruiting partner who you are confident will deliver you an excellent service, with the highest level of communication and customer care.

To find out what our legal recruitment process entails, and how we can help find you the legal role you’re looking for right now, get in touch with us on 01772 259 121, or contact us here.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help.  Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

The COVID-19 outbreak has affected all sectors. Just how much of an impact it has had on the legal industry will not be ascertained for many months, but we can, however, expect some changes in the coming weeks and months.

The lockdown has caused an economic slow-down which experts are predicting will lead to a recession. Your practice will likely change in certain areas, as some specialisms lose custom, while others remain buoyant or expand.

Consequently, your role might look different as you return to work – but how?

In this blog, we look at the ways we can expect your legal career to change post-lockdown.

1. Increased Remote Working

Firstly, there is a good chance that if you have been working from home during the lockdown, you could be asked to continue doing so.

The efficiency with which many practices went fully digital has made employers aware of the benefits of this working model.

Some have found it easier than others, with a lack of working space or a proper home office set-up.

• Is your firm’s cloud-based software running smoothly or will it need to be improved if remote working is here for the long-term?
• Are you as productive remote working as you were in the office?

If you have enjoyed working from home, there might be a possibility for you to continue to do so either part or full-time. You might have to think about how this could impact your home life if you need to set up a permanent home office space or upgrade your technology.

Speaking of technology, let’s look at the importance of digital legal services in the post-lockdown legal arena.

2. Going Digital

Working from home has made many legal employees realise the importance of being able to connect with clients digitally.

Caroline Fox, Principal Attorney at CJFox Law PLLC, highlighted the importance of this recently, stating:

“Lawyers need to be up-to-date on technology, including secure forms of video communication. We need to know how to securely access documents and enable quick, efficient communication with our staff and clients.”

“New lawyers need to be taught how to mail certified letters, when and where to send important documents, how to send a fax (with or without a fax machine), and other seemingly “trivial” administrative tasks that are the backbone of the legal practice.”

If home working is going to a part of your longer-term plan, you must now think about how you need to change to be able to give 100% service consistently.

Keep your manager and Senior Partners updated as to where digital services need to be improved. Inform them of what is working well and if any of your digital services need updating, such as digital document signing software or investing in new video platforms.

3. Lockdown’s Impact on Family Law

The two-month lockdown has created a surge in some legal specialisms. Family law is one area which has seen a dramatic increase, with matters of divorce, childcare and domestic violence issues featuring heavily.

Forced living arrangements have brought family tensions to a head, with a reported increase in divorce rates in both China and America, with the UK expected to follow suit. Families who unfortunately find they can’t resolve their issues will be seeking legal advice in the weeks and months following lockdown.

If you specialise in family law, you can expect an increase in business. Are your team prepared? You might have to think about enlisting help from other departments (more on this later) or expanding your team to deal with the influx.

4. Employment Law Issues

Lawyers dealing with employment law will see a surge as we emerge fully from lockdown. Clients will be trying to navigate the economic slow-down and manage their employees.

With the highly changeable situation regarding temporary workers in some sectors, clients will need extra guidance in these areas. Many commercial organisations have hired staff on short contracts en-mass for the first time and made changes to permanent workers’ contracts – all of which come with their legal implications.

Additionally, with the inevitable redundancies in some sectors, this is predicted to lead to an increase in legal action with employees believing that they have been mistreated or let go illegally.

Additionally, there could be an increase in workplace disputes during the return to work over the coming months. There is already unease among some employees not wanting to return to work in regards to workplace safety and childcare issues.

The unusual situation we are in will likely create unprecedented lawsuits.

5. Slowed-Down Specialisms

As with every period of economic slow-down, law firms will see a reduction in some specialisms.

Conveyancing is one area expected to be affected. The two-month ban on house viewings and government guidance not to move unless it was necessary meant the residential housing sector came to a standstill.

Some firms are also reporting a decrease in activity across numerous sectors, as clients try to cut back on using legal services to cut costs in the short term. But this short-term cut back will only increase clients needing legal services in the longer-term.

A recent McKinsey report on the impact of COVID-19 on law firms highlighted that law firms historically weather downturns better than the overall economy.

It is important to remember that a natural dip in the market has not caused the recent economic problems; it has been a forced slow-down due to the virus. This means that if a vaccine is found, or when the majority of businesses are open again, the economy could rebound quickly.

Finally, we look at how specialisms will need to adapt to ensure the survival of the firm.

6. Cross-Functional Teams

Many Practices are finding that a solution to the coronavirus crisis is to put together cross-functional teams. This means working with members of your firm that you haven’t previously; it involves a big shift in the dynamic of your team and will include creating new working relationships and possibly working in unfamiliar territories.

We can’t be certain yet as to where the real opportunities will be, but in the next few months, it will become clear which specialisms and client types will be critical to your success.

What Next?

There is going to be a wide range of demand across many legal specialisms as we go forward. Opportunities will appear in different areas, and the future of your legal career might not be with your current employer.

If you would like a conversation about what opportunities are available to you right now in the emerging market, call us on 01772 259 121 or get in contact here.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help.  Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

Professionals in every sector have to deal with some level of stress throughout their career, and the life of a busy legal employee is no different.

Whether you’re a Family Solicitor working on a particularly challenging case, or a Paralegal with an increasing number of claims to get through – stress affects us all.

But the added difficulties of COVID-19 has increased the chance of professionals succumbing to stress and has made life altogether more challenging.

And as April 2020 was Stress Awareness Month in the UK, I thought now was an appropriate time to support legal professionals in managing stress through the remainder of lockdown by sharing some helpful advice a mentor gave me in the previous challenging times of 2008 and 2009.

1. Planning Ahead

One of the best ways legal professionals can manage stress is to avoid overwhelm – and you can do this through careful planning.

Of course, there is a lot of uncertainty around what the future holds, but more specifically, how long things are going to take to get back to normal. The truth is, we can’t be sure how long this timeframe will be, but what we can do is to plan for things we do know.

It is likely that your calendar currently looks quite different from what it was pre-COVID-19. If you are still working on cases, are you working with a reduced amount? Or have the time frames been extended?

Things are changing rapidly right now, so flexible planning is needed to reduce stress. If a case is brought forward, extended or put on hold, you need to be able to factor this in as soon as you know. So keep in contact with any colleagues who are still working, clients and anyone else involved in cases as much as you possibly can – which brings me on to my next point.

2. Stay Connected

While working from home, it might feel as though some individuals who you usually have regular contact with have dropped off your radar.

This could be furloughed colleagues, associated insurers and your wider legal community in general. Feeling isolated can increase stress, just as feeling connected to a support network can reduce it.

Stay connected as much as you can to all of the people you usually interact with. This can be a combination of sending emails and personal messages to colleagues, attending webinars run by legal professionals and even commenting and interacting with your peers on LinkedIn.

3. Take Time Out

The change from our regular working lives to being contained at home has been a significant source of stress for some people.

If you’re still working on cases from home, the added pressure of trying to achieve the same results from an unusual or challenging environment can make even easy tasks seem overwhelming.

Perhaps you’re self-isolating with children, partners and pets with whom you have to contend with all while attempting to get your work done.

It is essential to take regular breaks and take time out if you start to feel as though things are getting on top of you. When we work from home, it can be easy for our work and home lives to merge, but it is essential to prevent this from happening.

Where possible, keep to your regular working hours. Unless it is necessary, don’t be tempted to jump on your laptop or make calls outside of your working hours – remember that downtime is key to preventing stress.

4. If You Are On Furlough

Furloughed legal employees can be susceptible to stress over the uncertainty of when you will return to work, and under what conditions. The additional concern about the reduction in your wages (if you’ve gone down to 80% pay) can exacerbate stress. A recent YouGov poll found that 55% of people are now worried about their families’ finances.

What furloughed employees should remember is that they’re not alone – more than 4 million UK employees have been furloughed. Experts predict that the government will ease the lockdown slowly throughout May, with a return to a new normal following in the weeks and months afterwards.

The following are what to do if you’re feeling stressed due to being furloughed –

• Reach out – there are plenty of schemes that have been put in place to help employees just like you, whether that’s contacting your bank about a reduction in your mortgage, or contacting your local authority to find out what other help is available to you.
• Keep track – create a budget and check your finances once a week to stay on track.
• Stay up to date with the news – the situation is changing rapidly at the moment, but staying in the know can help you feel in control.
• Keep in touch with your employer – they should be able to keep you regularly updated with the latest information regarding your furlough and your return to work.

Finally

The NHS has recognised that stress caused by the upheaval and worries associated with coronavirus is a significant problem. So much so that there is a dedicated section of their website which deals with coronavirus-related stress which you can read here.

If you’re a legal professional currently looking for employment, or are thinking about the future of your legal career – we can help with advice and job opportunities. Browse our current vacancies here, or get in touch with our team today to find out more.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999, and during that time has built up an excellent reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help.  Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak at the end of 2019, many working practices have changed and are set to stay that way for the foreseeable future with the introduction of many hybrid and remote working roles. As many law firms confirm they will not be bringing staff back full-time, making hybrid solutions work for all is deeming to be an ongoing process that we are not seeing the end of soon.

And, whilst there has been much documented about pros and cons of homeworking, for many it may be a non-negotiable when looking for a new role – one that is no longer limited to geographical boundaries.

So whether you find yourself working from home on a more permanent basis, or as part of a hybrid working pattern, here are our top tips to stay motivated, keep your productivity high, and keep engaged with your employer and colleagues.

1. Allocate a Workspace

To clarify the boundaries between home and work, it’s essential to set up a specific workspace. If you can, allocate a spare room for this purpose as this will give you a visual reminder of when you are ‘at work’. Having a physical door, you can shut will also minimise potential interruptions from other family members.

However, if you do not have extra space, then a corner of another room can become your ‘office’. Just ensure that paperwork doesn’t spill into other areas and that when you close your laptop at the end of the day, you leave that space as you would leave a physical office.

2. Be Clear on Boundaries

Let your family know when you will be working and when you’re free, so you don’t have distractions, and be firm with them that you are not to be interrupted during your work hours.

3. Dress for the Occasion

To maintain a professional approach, it’s essential to shower and dress each day as you would normally. You don’t have to wear a fitted suit when working remotely (unless you are planning a client video call), and smart-casual, comfortable clothes will put you in the ‘zone’ and send the right messages to your brain that you are in work-mode.

4. Write Your To-Do List

Structure your day, as you would in the office. Allocate times for research, writing reports and contacting clients. If you would typically do specific tasks on certain days, continue to do so as this will help add structure and define the days, so they don’t start to merge into one.

5. Map Your Productivity Levels

You will notice when you have times of high productivity, and when that dips slightly (for most people, this is mid-afternoon). If you start to find you have much more mental energy earlier in the day, you can start working on more complicated cases earlier, leaving time for routine admin later on when your energy is lower.

Conversely, if you get your best work done later in the day, adjust your schedule. Just make sure that contact times with senior partners, colleagues and clients is convenient for all concerned – this should take place during established working hours.

6. Add a Background

If you are used to a busy, bustling law firm, it can be very quiet working alone. Consider some soft background music for company – it helps that too-quiet feeling and can boost your concentration levels. You can access specific concentration music via YouTube or put some classical music or Radio 4 on at low volume.

7. Schedule Breaks

It’s good to have a break from the screen and get some downtime for your brain too. So, aim to have lunch in another room away from your office space. And go outdoors – even for a quick five minutes to get some fresh air and lower stress levels.

8. Check In to The Office

Keep in touch with your senior partner or manager and colleagues regularly – ideally daily. This allows you to update them with what you’re working on, discuss priorities and schedules, and remind yourself that you are still working as part of a team.
This is particularly important if you are unused to remote working, as feelings of isolation can set in once the initial novelty has worn off.

9. Sign Off

As part of your schedule, have a definitive sign off time. That means, at the end of your workday, you close your laptop, turn off your business mobile and other equipment, and leave your office space. Follow this procedure to avoid the temptation to ‘just finish that project’, or just do ‘another five minutes’ on a case.
Remember, you need to keep your work and home life separate.

10. Enjoy Your Down-Time

From exercising to getting enough sleep, it’s critical to maintain a routine that keeps you energised and focused. It’s unlikely you would stay up till 2 am watching tv during a typical work week, so don’t be tempted to do so just because you’re working remotely.

Spend your free time doing something you enjoy with family and friends, where possible. If the current pandemic makes that challenging, remember to keep in touch virtually via Facebook, Messaging, WhatsUp, Skype, or whichever platform you prefer. From holding virtual cocktails on a Friday evening to a group chat – enjoying your downtime will help you maintain high productivity while you are working remotely.

Some final thoughts

For many legal professionals, working from home has its challenges but remember to think about the positives – from uninterrupted quiet to get on and the ability to set your own schedule, to avoiding the commute and even saving money by not having to buy lunch every day!

A good plan of action and a clear distinction between working and home life will help set you up for successful – and enjoyable – remote working.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking for a new opportunity, perhaps one that does offer flexible or hybrid working solutions, please call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

The recent Challenges and Opportunities Survey, conducted by Clayton Legal, provided some interesting data on the different obstacles faced by legal professionals in business today.

For many employers, recruitment and retention of the right talent remain a priority, along with the seemingly unending skills shortage in a competitive legal marketplace, with law firms jostling for the best candidates.

As a legal professional, if you are considering a move – now is a great time to make it. Employers are offering attractive packages that provide not just excellent remuneration, but bonuses and additional packages such as flexitime, additional leave, sabbaticals and wellbeing strategies.

We spend the majority of our lives at work, so it’s critical to make sure you are in the right role. While there are plenty of good arguments for staying at your current law firm; equally, there are reasons why it could make sense to look around for other opportunities.

So, how do you decide if a move is for you? Are you still in love with your law firm? Legal professionals often leave a firm because they want to make a move to a bigger market or a more prestigious position, or to a smaller market and less stressful job. But there are other reasons, too.

This article, looks at the six giveaway signs that it may be time to resign gracefully and seek pastures new.

1. You Are Poorly Compensated

Do you feel you are not being paid what you are worth?

If your law firm doesn’t have the resources to compensate you fairly, is it because of low client numbers due to a weak marketplace or because they don’t value your expertise?

If it is the former and you otherwise enjoy working for your firm, then you might decide to stay and see if the marketplace improves. However, if you feel that you are under-appreciated or that staff salaries are not a priority, then it’s probably time to look elsewhere.

2. You Work Away From Home/Family

One of the recurring reasons legal employees look to change roles is to be nearer home and family.

Many young solicitors start out craving the bright lights of another city or new area – and that often works well initially and provides an excellent experience. But for those who want to settle down or who have family, being nearer home is a significant factor in their career choice.

Additionally, many law firms recognise that solicitors and practice directors who want to relocate nearer their families are valuable retention-wise as they are more likely to stay with their firm.

It’s also worth considering that working nearer home means less commuting time, which improves work-life balance – providing more leisure opportunities such as going to the gym, socialising with friends or spending time relaxing at home.

3. You Can’t Access Further Training

For those starting in the legal world, it’s critical to have a mentor. For example, if you are a newly qualified conveyancing solicitor, it’s advantageous to have someone in your firm who can offer guidance and advice as you get to grips with the ropes in your new career.

However, as you progress, you may find you still require advice, but there is no additional training provided and no-one to offer guidance.

In which case, are you better off looking for a new position where further, consistent training and mentoring is offered?

4. You Don’t Feel Challenged – or There’s Too Much Stress

Do you feel as though you have plateaued in your legal career?

It may be that you have reached the top of the potential career ladder in your current firm and can’t see a way to progress further. Perhaps your career hasn’t gone quite as you expected, and a Partnership hasn’t materialised.

Or maybe you are feeling jaded in your current role, and you have no way of advancing your current career specialism.

Could it be that there simply is not enough work in your current law firm; in which case do you hope things will improve, or look for another role elsewhere?

Alternatively, is the workload too much? Do you feel that you are drowning in caseloads and risking burnout because of little investment in staff from your current law firm?

5. The Culture is Not a Good Fit

Company culture is a significant decider in many legal employee’s resolution to leave their current role.

If you work in a law firm with a great culture fit, where the ethos of the firm matches your own, and you feel part of a larger team all pulling together to achieve mutual goals and aspirations – that’s wonderful.

But if you are working in an environment where you feel distanced from the firm’s goals, that your opinions are not valued, or that you are simply not in the right place with the right people; is it time to seek a better culture?

Remember, it’s essential to surround yourself with people you feel comfortable with. And not just for great company culture, but for your mental health too.

6. You Want to Broaden Your Horizons

Finally, do you want to broaden your horizons by moving to a more esteemed law firm?

For ambitious individuals who enjoy a challenge, moving to a prestigious law firm can offer them the opportunity for higher-level advancement.

Additionally, you could aim to maximise your career by moving to a law firm who is a marketplace leader in your own specialism.

For many, ‘trading up’ is the logical step from their current firm, and it could be argued that the entire legal market thrives due to solicitors moving onto more prestigious firms, providing the opportunity for the next generation of legal professionals to start their career.

Making the Move

If you decide that a move is for you, it’s wise to plan it well to minimise disruption and maximise your opportunities.

Firstly, set up job alerts with relevant career search sites and consider engaging the help of a specialist recruiter like Clayton Legal – recruiters can offer valuable advice and have a wealth of contacts – and our services are free of charge to candidates.

Secondly, update your online profile as would-be employers (and recruiters) will no doubt check these out for information about you before offering an interview.

Lastly, if you are still employed, remember to job hunt ethically and when you have found your perfect role, ensure you leave on good terms with your employer – you never know when you might meet them again.

What Are Your Next Steps?

If you’re reading this article because you are looking for your ideal legal role, please call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

Are you looking for a new legal role?

It’s a generally held opinion that it’s much easier to find a job if you’re already in a post. You’re already in the ‘thick of it’. Liaising with other legal professionals and interacting with contacts on a daily basis.

If you’re unemployed, you don’t have that sort of access.

Additionally, if you’re in a job, you have the luxury of being able to look around and take your time. You don’t need a job; you want a new job. And you can wait for the right one if necessary.

But it’s wise to practice caution when job hunting while still employed. Nothing will turn a potential new employer off faster than a breach of ethics. And finding out about a breach of ethics by your current manager or senior partner won’t look good for you either.

Seeking to avoid burning your bridges with the law firm you are currently with it a good idea – they are still paying your salary, after all. The least you can do is job search ethically.

Here are the steps to take to ensure your legal job hunt remains professional.

1. Job Search in Your Own Time

Here at Clayton Legal, we advise candidates to avoid job searches in work time.

That means not looking for jobs when you should be working on a caseload, not looking for new opportunities when the rest of the team are out at a meeting, avoiding sending job hunt related emails out from your firm’s pc or looking jobs up on the internet in between seeing clients.

And not using the firm’s printer to do multiple copies of your CV is a given too!

2. Keep it Quiet

If you want to maintain your ethical job search in your own time, it’s wise not to discuss it at work. Not even with your best work buddy. Once someone knows, it’s only a matter of time before word gets out.

Not only could knowledge of your job hunt suggest to your Manager or Senior Partner that you are unhappy in your current role, but you could also find yourself in the awkward position of being removed from discussions and even cases if they perceive you are less than 100% committed to your current role.

While keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date is vital in your job hunt, not mentioning that you are looking a new role is prudent. Just make sure all your details such as recent awards, training, qualifications and experience are there for prospective employers to view.

3. Schedule Your Interviews Carefully

Taking time out for a ‘dentist’ visit or contriving a sick day when you’re going for an interview is not ethical.

Try to schedule interviews before or after your regular work time, or in your lunch hour. If it’s impossible for the interviewer to see you at a time that works outside your current hour, take a day’s annual leave.

That way, you’re not likely to bump into your firm’s Solicitor in the high street at lunchtime when you’re supposed to have flu.

4. Remain Diplomatic

If you’re asked about your current firm or employer at interview, do not be tempted to use the occasion to let potential employers know how unhappy you are, how your Senior Partner hasn’t a clue how to run a law firm, or how much you loathe the clients.

It should be obvious, but sometimes even seasoned legal professionals fall into the trap at an interview of being too candid with their opinions.

Maintaining diplomacy at all times is the key. Concentrate on what a new job could offer you (career path, the broader scope for legal areas to cover, diverse clients, etc) and less on what your current position doesn’t provide.

After all, if you are keen to rush into a character assassination of your current employer, your interviewer’s first thought will be “Will they talk about my firm the same way in 12 months?”

5. Keep Up the Good Work

You may be leaving your current employer because you don’t like working for their firm, or you may be going to increase your chances of moving up the career ladder elsewhere.

Whatever the reason, while you are still employed at your current law firm, it’s the mark of your integrity and professionalism to keep up the standard of work expected of you.

Knowing you are doing everything in your power to remain ethical and principled in your job search will be rewarded by the self-knowledge that you handled the situation well, and it will demonstrate your sincerity and honesty to your future employer.

Conclusion

Job searching while employed can be difficult, not least due to the time constraints you face, but it does have its advantages. You are in a better position to negotiate your preferred salary, and you won’t be under the same pressure to take any job that comes along just to meet your mortgage or rent payments.

Additionally, by conducting your job search ethically, you can be sure your current employer will be more than happy to provide a glowing reference.

Good luck in your search!

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking for the next move in your legal career, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options. With our help, your transition can be smoother and quicker.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

As a legal professional, you take your career seriously.

You may well already have a personal brand that you’ve spent time developing. Mapping it out will have made you more self-aware and knowledgeable, as well as signalling to Senior Partners and Managers that you are the ideal candidate for the next promotion opportunity.

Establishing yourself as a go-to for specialist legal knowledge has made you the person everyone looks to for advice. Your brand indicates your strengths, capabilities and enables you to stand out above the competition.

In short, few things are more critical to building a successful legal career than having a strong personal brand.

So, what could go wrong?

Sometimes, your personal brand can slip and work against you, preventing you from moving forward in your career. So, it’s wise to look out for these tell-tale signs that your brand is failing – and how you can rectify it before any damage occurs.

1. Your Goals Are Too Vague

Why are you building your brand? What are your end goals?

A vague “I want to become a leader” isn’t clear enough. You need to have a definite goal in mind. Be it achieving a Senior Partnership, Managerial role or Senior Solicitor within your Law Firm, having a clear objective will help you focus and plan on how exactly you’re going to get there.

And understanding why you want to develop your personal brand will keep you on track too.

2. You’re Neglecting ‘Real’ Interactions

Blogging and vlogging may be all the rage, but are you neglecting the more traditional channels of communication?

It’s tempting to follow the herd, and there’s nothing wrong with having an online presence it’s essential (more on this later), but it’s also worth considering other ways to get your brand across.

Keynote speaking at law events, networking at conferences or writing a guest piece for a legal publication – all these can help establish your personal legal profile. Face to face interactions have a lot more impact than online relationships – so make sure you utilise both well for maximum impact.

3. You Don’t Practice What You Preach

While we’re talking about interactions, considering your interactions with your team in the workplace is crucial to maintaining your personal brand. Having one persona for the outside world and another in the office isn’t going to cut it.

How you treat your legal team is going to directly affect how they view you. Consistency in your communication, from important meetings to casual chats in the hallway, is crucial.

Be aware of your communication style, actively listen and make time for your staff. They are the ones who will bolster your position and recommend you to others, thus building your credibility.

4. It’s All About You

Hopefully, you don’t have any controversial tweeting habits, but when online it’s ideal to mix promotion of yourself with legal industry knowledge that conveys your expertise without it seeming as though you are endlessly indulging in ‘over the top’ self-promotion. In other words, the Goldilocks effect: not too much, not too little.

Ideally, 10 per cent of your posts should be about you (for example, recent achievements or awards) and the rest should highlight current legal news and trends, provoking discussion and sharing your perspective on things that are happening in the legal world.

And it goes without saying – keep your private life private, and your professional life professional online. Mixing the two is inviting trouble.

Be mindful that it may not be something you write on your personal feed that will damage your reputation, but it could be a controversial response from a friend; from political comments to excessive personal information – keep it off your professional profile.

5. You Don’t Stick to Your Promises

If you promised to appear as a speaker at an event, you wouldn’t not show up, would you?

Similarly, if you guarantee an in-depth article to your online followers every week, you need to ensure its there. If you fail to keep your promises, even at this level, you will lose the trust of followers and damage your brand.

So, think carefully before you promise articles, videos and twitter posts and ensure that you can fit them into your schedule.

6. You Don’t Follow Up

Credibility is built on consistency, so being constantly mindful of behaviour is critical.

Putting your brand ‘out there’ but failing to keep consistency is going to damage your brand. You’ve got your LinkedIn profile updated and your articles written for your blog posts – what else can you do?

Just as you would if you were marketing your law firm, you need a marketing strategy for your brand (remember the goals we talked about earlier?) Consistent messages and actions keep your sense of identity and credibility going and help power you towards those goals.

Maintaining your identity online and in-person will add value to your propositions and opinions.

That way, you will establish your professionalism and earn the trust of peers, colleagues and industry professionals to build authenticity and make the most of your personal brand.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking for the next move in your legal career, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options. With our help, your transition can be smoother and quicker.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

Temporary legal roles are becoming more and more popular. There is an increasing demand for interim or contracting Solicitors and Lawyers (locum legal professionals) as a result of the current candidate-driven legal marketplace. Due to this spike in demand, many legal professionals are beginning to consider the advantages of becoming a locum.

Sometimes it isn’t easy to find the right legal position. It could be that you are relatively new to the legal marketplace; you could have been made redundant or just be looking for a change in your legal career. Making sure you get the right permanent job is not always straightforward.

On occasions like this, it’s wise to consider a locum legal position.

After all, some of the highest achievers in business started out in temporary roles – even the likes of Steve Jobs!

Working in temporary positions has increased in popularity since the recession of 2007, with 800,000 temporary staff now part of the workforce, a new report has found.

This marks an astonishing 40 per cent rise over the past ten years, according to research carried out by the Resolution Foundation.

The main advantage to law firms in hiring locums is an easily scalable workforce, but there are many benefits for the individual choosing to take a locum position too.

Temporary work is a good way for unemployed legal professionals to get back into employment and of course, there is the advantage that the interim role you take on could become permanent. Although there is no guarantee that this will happen, locum work offers distinct advantages that can aid your legal career, so you should seriously consider these when wondering if you should take a temporary role.

Advantages of locum legal positions include:

1. A Psychological Boost

Being unemployed can take its toll; eating into your self-confidence and motivation. So, a locum position can raise your morale and give a sense of structure and meaning to your day.

And if you take several locum positions, you will soon become adept at starting new jobs and taking everything in your stride, thus building your confidence.

2. Flexibility

Locum positions provide the perfect way to get more flexibility in your life. If you want to study and gain further legal qualifications, if you provide care for someone else, or have interests you would like to devote more time to, temporary work is ideal.

Locums also have the advantage of being able to often negotiate their working hours, shifting the work-life balance to suit their lifestyles.

Additionally, the nature of locum work, where you will be exposed to a variety of different roles and tasks, means that no two days are likely to be the same so that you can enjoy increased diversity in your work.

3. Continuous Employment on Your CV

When you go for a permanent post, it doesn’t look good if you have long gaps between jobs.

An interviewer is likely to ask you what you’ve been doing since your last job, and you don’t want to admit to watching endless daytime TV or reorganising the kitchen cupboards.

It looks so much better if you can say you’ve been in temporary work to keep up to date with industry standards, training and upskilling to put you in a good position for permanent legal work.

Not only does this show your commitment to finding a job, but it also demonstrates that you are a naturally upbeat and positive person who makes their own luck – the type of colleague who would be a bonus to any law firm.

4. Opportunity for Work Experience

Locum work is a great way to get a varied and diverse range of experience – and fast.

If you are looking to change direction or upskill in your legal career, say you are thinking of retraining in property law, locum roles are a great way to gain experience and ability in a variety of roles and arm yourself with additional, critical soft skills such as communication, adaptability and attention to detail.

A locum role also allows you to keep up to date with your current skills and provides a chance to learn new hard skills such as the latest software packages or developing your presentation abilities.

Additionally, legal professionals with many years’ experience already under their belts offer employers the benefit of their valuable knowledge. Your experience will build your credibility and reputation in the marketplace, making you a desirable and in-demand employee as law firms recognise the benefits an experienced locum can bring to their firm.

5. Test the Waters

Locum work is also an excellent way to try before you buy.

So, if you are interested in working for a particular law firm taking a temporary role will enable you to see what they are like to work for, what the company culture is, what their staff development commitments are, as well as allowing you to get a general ‘feel’ for the firm.

If you want to try several firms, temping also offer a low-obligation way to assess each one and try several different roles. This gives you the space to think about where you want to go next before committing yourself to a permanent position.

6. Build Your Network

Locum work is the dream way to quickly build your network.

It allows you to rapidly grow contacts across a wide range of law firms and legal connections as well as establish links with the recruitment company that placed you in the role. This can play to your advantage as you can use the same recruitment company to access future locum roles!

7. Temporary to Permanent

Make a great impression, and your role may become permanent. Even if it doesn’t, already being in the firm and showing you can do a good job could put you first in line for consideration if a full-time legal role comes up, as you already have experience of working for the firm and they know you.

Starting out as a locum and ending up in a full-time position can be extremely rewarding. The advantages include not having to go through a period of being on probation, already being part of the team, acclimatised to your law firm’s culture and knowing your colleagues.

8. Work-Life Balance

Of course, not everyone enters locum positions as a stopgap before something permanent comes their way.

Locum roles offer the chance to have greater control over your career.

I see many candidates who prefer to temp on a permanent basis to avoid the stress and burn out which is so prevalent in many legal professions where individuals regularly work long hours.

Locum work can offer flexibility and the experience of meeting a wide range of people and doing different things. Learning about the various law firms you work for and gaining skills and knowledge quickly can be rewarding.

Additionally, temporary work can enable you to use this knowledge to move to more senior locum positions while still allowing you to choose when and where you work, resulting in a great work-life balance.

Finding the Right Locum Position

If you’re looking for a locum position, a knowledgeable specialist recruitment agency such as Clayton Legal can help steer you in the right direction.

We know the legal marketplace inside out and are familiar with working with individuals looking for temporary positions and clients seeking to engage temporary staff. Working with one contact, we will get to know you well: your interests, skills and qualifications and your preferences so we can make sure you find your dream locum role – or roles!

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking for the next move in your legal career, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options. With our help, your transition can be smoother and quicker.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.