“Being a duty solicitor at Christmas is not as bad as being in a position where you need a lawyer at Christmas.”

As a criminal lawyer my work doesn’t fit into a traditional nine-to-five box, and that doesn’t change at Christmas time. Crime doesn’t stop for festivities and remanded people must be dealt with regardless of the season. The magistrates’ courts are still open on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

All year round, the phone keeps ringing, and you must answer the calls and be available. We provide an essential service to those in need and are bound by our Legal Aid contract to ensure we don’t miss a single call.

At Christmas, social media is full of tributes to other service workers – but few people spare a thought for the legal aid lawyers on call. We’re often the unseen lifeline for those who need urgent legal help.

Before I go any further, I must be clear: I love the work I do. I qualified 14 years ago, but have been representing clients at the police station since 2008. Despite everything – I’m still motivated and passionate about my job. I’m a rota’d duty solicitor, I handle own client work and I’m a solicitor advocate.

On duty

There are two types of duty shifts that I undertake: at the police station and at the magistrates’ court. There are currently 15 duty solicitors in the Plymouth area, so I’m on call quite often. Although our numbers will increase to 16 early next year when a newly qualified colleague joins the rota.

When you’re on duty at the police station, you’re working a 24-hour shift – but the work doesn’t end there. You have another day’s-worth of work at the police station dealing with the people who entered the system while you were on call. If anyone is charged, your work rolls into a third day.

The morning after a night on call feels like waking up with a hangover. These shifts start and end at nine o’clock in the morning – it’s common to get calls through the night. You can sleep, but you must leave your phone on loud, so you don’t miss a call. You also need to be able to get to a police station within 45-minutes should the need arise – no matter the time.

Early in my career, I’d drive to far-away police stations in the middle of the night when I was exhausted. I don’t do this now, and I encourage my team to know when to say ‘no’. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to a colleague after driving when completely exhausted.

Sacrifices of the job

As a single mum to two young children, time away from my family is part of life. I don’t want to sound all “woe is me” because I’ve made my choices. I have learnt to balance work and family life. I’m lucky to have a ‘village’ that I can depend on because that enables me to do what I love. It’s important my children see my commitment to my work. I hope it instils a strong work ethic in them.

The way I see it, having to work at Christmas is not as bad as being in a position where you need a lawyer at Christmas. This year I’ll be taking calls over Christmas Eve and Day, and I will be on police station duty from 9am on Boxing Day – inevitably facing domestic fallouts.

I’m lucky to be in a firm that allows us to use external agents to cover some of the hours. This allows me to ringfence things like Christmas dinner so I can enjoy them undisturbed and have some time to be with my children.

As a partner, it’s important I’m a good example for my team and stand my ground on boundaries. The rule at our firm is that only the partners work the bank holiday Christmas days. The team work hard all year round and we want them to enjoy the festivities.

An endless juggle

My diary is always here, there and everywhere. Things can be very last minute – you have to be flexible and think on your feet. I actually thrive in this kind of environment but it doesn’t suit everyone. It is tough to balance the constant flow of new work whilst keeping existing cases moving through the system. It can be a lot of pressure.

My team sits by the entrance to our office so we can nip in and out. You never know when you might get called to the police station or court. Sometimes you’ve got to be in two different places at the same time.

I think the fast-pace of the work is part of what attracts criminal solicitors to the role. It’s a vocation and you’ve got to want to do it. You need to be adaptable otherwise you're not going to last.

A strained system

Years of underfunding in the Criminal Justice System has had a significant impact on delays, recruitment and access to justice. This month we have received a funding increase from the Legal Aid Agency – following the findings from the Leveson report and review earlier this year. It’s a positive step, but there is still a long way to go!

I’m concerned about proposals to remove juries from some Crown Court trials. I don’t believe this will tackle the delays caused by years of underfunding.

I do think criminal lawyers are being taken advantage of by the justice system. Everything depends on passionate people who want to do some good. But, the challenging circumstances that face those working in legal aid means people’s compassion is fading. It’s no wonder that our numbers are in decline.

The lack of fresh blood entering criminal law is a huge problem. People are told at university to avoid criminal law because there’s no money in it. Over the past few years, I’ve been going to universities to talk to students and inspire them. From that outreach we’ve been fortunate to attract new trainees. It’s important to do what we can to keep those new recruits engaged and protect them from burning out.

I know I make it sound depressing, but when you love your job it’s all worth it. I love advocating for people. It’s so rewarding.

If I could have one Christmas wish for the criminal justice system it would be to have more wishes. Where do you begin, considering everything I’ve said above? How we’re portrayed in the media is unfair. We’re often overlooked and taken advantage of. The pay structures from the Legal Aid agency aren’t ideal.

What I’d honestly wish for is a little respect. One thing that always gets to me when I’m on court duty is that we sometimes don’t get recognised as officers of the court. At the end of the session the magistrate will often thank the legal advisor and prosecutor, but we’re rarely shown the same level of respect. We’re not just there with ‘the bad guys’ – we’re there to do a court job, just like the others.