“Mummy, we only see you at dinner times”

I love my job, but I don't have enough hours in the day to get all my work done. The volume of emails alone feels like somebody’s standing on the other side of my desk throwing pieces of paper and bundles of documents at me all day. And then I’m expected to reply and deal with those needs, draft contracts, and do all manner of things as quickly as possible.

I read a quote from Mark Evans that said conveyancing used to be like a jigsaw puzzle with a hundred pieces, but now it has a thousand pieces. To me, it feels more like you’re making ten jigsaw puzzles at the same time, whilst not knowing what the pictures are, and whether you have the right pieces.

I realised I’d been working too many hours when my eight-year-old daughter said, “Mummy, does the government not know how hard all these conveyancers are having to work? We only see you at dinner times.” This was during the stamp duty holiday as we came out of COVID. She spoke for the families of all conveyancers and others involved in the house moving process.

I realised I couldn't continue to work at that volume because it was impacting my family as well as me.

Looking after my wellbeing

Boundaries: Sometimes I have to admit to myself that I’m never going to realistically get through everything in one day, be measured and firm with myself, and stop working when my shift ends, rather than letting those unfinished tasks take over my evenings and weekends. That is hard to do as I always want to do the best for my clients.

Exercise: Once I leave the office, one thing that helps me relax is running. I go running a lot. This year, I ran the London Marathon for a local charity, I do parkrun every weekend, and I’m a great supporter of Legal Runner, which is run by Law Society president, Mark Evans. I have my Legal Runner T-shirt, which I wear to parkrun every Saturday.

Community: Finding communities in law has also been a help. The good thing about conveyancing is that there are many women working in the sector and they can provide a real help and support network. I am in a local support group, which is great. We go out regularly - we're actually out at a function this Friday night. And I set up our own local Awards ceremony, just for our small group, with awards like ‘best use of swear words in a text message’!

Why I love being a conveyancer

I couldn't think of doing anything else other than conveyancing, which sounds very sad, I have to say. But I do love my job. I love the people. I love the fact that you’re helping them buy their dream home. I came to the Law Society building 35 years ago with my late father to be admitted, and he was so proud of me for becoming a solicitor. I always think of him when I come through those doors and wish he were alive to see me now.