I (Andriana Evagora) joined southgate solicitors in September 2021 as a family law solicitor specialising in private children matters. Previously, I had been at a firm in central London with more of an emphasis on civil litigation, and to be completely honest, I questioned whether this profession was for me.

When I moved to southgate solicitors, I immediately realised that not only was this profession for me, but this amazing, tight-knit firm was also for me. I can, hand on heart, picture myself here until I am old and decrepit!

I can truly say that I love working at southgate solicitors. My colleagues have become my friends and they are absolutely incredible, constantly going out of their way to assist each other. I also have to give a special mention to our managing partner, Hasan Hadi (he hasn’t bribed me to write this part, I promise). Hasan is the kindest, most generous and supportive boss I know of. Hasan is our foundation and without him southgate solicitors would not be what it is today.

Our office is modern, welcoming and equipped with all the necessary equipment to get the job done efficiently and to enable us to provide our clients with the best service. In addition to the necessities, we have various perks such as a ping pong table, a pool table, and a breakout room with a TV (and Netflix) so that we can all take a break from our desks.

I, along with most of the team, currently have a hybrid set up. I usually work from home three or four days a week and I am in the office one or two days a week. Hasan continues to ensure that we are all equipped with the necessary equipment and furniture needed to make working from home as smooth as possible.

southgate solicitors implements processes and systems that make our life unbelievably easier and this allows us to focus on our clients and their matters. We have a modern case management system and various other software and apps which means that we are able to create hearing bundles effortlessly (gone were the days where we stood at the printer, printing and collating the documents, and then scanning them in just so we could obtain an electronic copy), we are able to send documents to clients for signing with electronic signatures and our case management system is the best I have used.

In terms of “work-life balance”, this is something that is actively encouraged. On occasions, when I have been seen working past 5pm, I have been told to switch off and enjoy my evening. As many of the team will say, we are not expected to work all hours of the day. As long as our work gets done and we provide the best service to our clients, this is what matters.

In addition to this, our hard work is also rewarded. Whether this be team lunches or team trips away, this is another perk of working at southgate solicitors

I am beyond proud to work at southgate solicitors with such an amazing and supportive team. I am and always will be eternally grateful for the opportunity and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us, because I know it’s going to be a good one!