Amy Paterson

I joined Nash & Co in February 2022 and was promoted to an Associate Solicitor in the following May. Rhiannon Moore and I head up the Conveyancing Team and both work part-time (4 days a week). We each have a different non-working day, which unfortunately means we do not get to spend our day off together however we do this to ensure there is a senior member of the team in the office so that junior members have support on hand and can refer any questions to us should they need to. Whilst we generally have the same non-working day each week for continuity, we can alter and switch this when required.  

I knew Rhiannon from having previously worked on the other side of her in conveyancing transactions. As we liked how the other worked, we would refer prospective clients to each other if both parties wished to use us as we are not able to act for both parties in a transaction. Rhiannon approached me to cover her maternity leave and, after discovering that we would be off work at the same time, we arranged to meet up and soon realised that we have a lot in common. Our careers are important to us; we have the same work ethic and work incredibly hard for our clients. We also both have two young boys and it’s important that we can switch off from work to spend quality time with our families. Rhiannon sold me the team culture at Nash & Co and a way of working which is quite different to the traditional set up I knew, which lends itself well to flexible working.

Our team consists of solicitors, trainee legal executives, paralegals and assistants and 6 out of 10 members of our team work part-time hours. We pride ourselves on providing an exceptional level of service to clients, and part of the reason we can deliver this service is because of the systems we have in place and the team aspect ensuring continuity of cover.

We all have access to each other’s emails so that when a member of the team is not in the office, their emails are monitored and actioned. We have a telephone system that will divert to the direct assistant and then to the remainder of the team if the call is not answered within a few rings. This ensures that clients, solicitors and estate agents can always speak to someone and means I am not coming back into the office after my non-working day with voicemails to listen to and calls to return unless they are scheduled. We are often told that estate agents and mortgage advisers like working with us as we always answer the phone.

I ensure that any files are signed off for exchange and completion in advance so that my assistant or another member of the team can deal with any exchanges and completions once these are signed off. I would not wish to be the cause of delaying an exchange of contracts if all parties were ready, but the files couldn’t exchange because it was my non-working day.

As my assistant will take my calls when I am engaged and deal with exchanges and completions, which can be very time-consuming, this frees up time to enable me to focus on the substantive technical work. You will often hear solicitors say they have to do substantive work such as reports in the evening as they are unable to undertake this type of work during the day due to constant interruptions. The telephone system we have in place hugely benefits us as well as our clients.

Due to the fast-paced nature of conveyancing, it’s imperative that adequate provision is in place for holiday cover which enables us to enjoy blocks of time off work to relax and re-set. As well as having a wonderful team of support staff, we also have a brilliant locum solicitor who assists us on a regular basis and covers our holiday. I believe it’s so important to be able to have an extended break without having to log into emails and worry about what is happening in the office.

It is certainly not easy working part-time in conveyancing however it is possible with the appropriate support and systems in place.

We work incredibly hard to ensure the hours we work do not impact on our ability to action matters expeditiously and deliver a great level of service to clients. Working a 4-day week creates a lot of pressure to action everything that comes in before a non-working day, however I am so glad that I have worked hard to make the arrangement work to spend quality time with my boys whilst they are young, and I am grateful to be part of a fantastic team. Whilst it is important for the solicitor to be contactable and have conduct of the file, paralegals and assistants are essential to the success of a team and can help facilitate a better work/life balance.