Joining a new firm in the middle of a pandemic may not seem like one of the greatest ideas but it was probably one of the best I have had! I joined southgate solicitors at the start of December 2020 as a family law solicitor specialising in public and private children matters.

As soon as I joined, I knew that it was the firm for me. I can honestly say that I really enjoy working at southgate solicitors. My colleagues are wonderful, we all help each other and there is a genuine team spirit. Our office is 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 so that we can all take a well-earned break from our desks.

I currently have a hybrid set up; I usually work from home three days a week and I am in the office two days a week. Setting up a workspace at home was a process that could not have gone smoother thanks to our managing director Hasan. When I was provided with the choice of all the necessary equipment and furniture needed to make my working from home as comfortable as possible.

The technology and processes implemented by the firm also makes carrying out our job a lot easier; we are able to send documents to clients for signing with electronic signatures (amazing in these times, bundle creation is made easy using simple software and our case management system is the best I have used in my legal career.

What really stands out for me is the emphasis on work-life balance here at southgate solicitors. We work hard and are rewarded for it! There have been times that I have been in the office working late and have been told to close my laptop and to stop working. We are not expected to work all hours of the day, as long as we get the work done and do our best for our clients.

Our job is not easy, this will be the same at every firm. But it is made a lot easier by having great systems in place, an ethos of working hard, and being rewarded with fun activities such as regular team lunches and our annual team trips (such as our long weekend away to Center Parcs this year) and having an excellent team of colleagues.

I am so grateful to be a part of this amazing firm and I know that we will continue to grow as fast as it has in the last few years!

The contents of this article are general information only. The information in this article is not legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should obtain independent expert advice from qualified solicitors such as those within our firm.