Lead Consultant Solicitor specialising in Residential Property with extensive experience managing a high-performing conveyancing team of over 20 professionals. Best known for delivering an exceptional client experience, building relationships with lenders and referrers and having a solutions focused approach in the property market.
What was your career path to your current role?
During my first year of studying Law, I obtained a work experience placement at a high street firm in London, fast forward two years, they offered me a Training Contract with a salary that only covered my commute costs, I couldn’t turn it down as my only goal was to qualify. During my Training Contract, I was made to deal with a few residential matters, and in all honesty I did not have the slightest idea where to begin. Gradually it became my favourite area of practise, and I felt like a natural. On qualifying as a Solicitor, I joined Taylor Rose as a NQ solicitor in their residential department in March 2020. By September 2022 I took the leap into Consultancy. I am now a Lead Consultant Solicitor at Taylor Rose with a team of over 20 individuals who I take pride in looking after every day.
What keeps you motivated in your work?
My clientele and the team I have created around me are my pillars and truly keep me going, witnessing my clients satisfaction and gratification when a complicated transaction is completed feeds my drive. Equally, watching my team grow as individuals and develop their skills and achieve things they once doubted they could do is incredibly rewarding. Seeing them progress in the way they are and knowing we are building something together makes even the most challenging days worthwhile.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you regarding your career?
“Property law will be your bread and butter” is the advice my supervisor gave me during my training contract. Almost every person in the country will have a property dealing in their lifetime, in many cases more than once and if you can provide a professional and proactive service the clients will flow, and the growth will follow.
What advice would you like to give to someone just starting out?
Some people expect to start at the top, be realistic, be willing to start at the bottom and earn your way up. When I accepted my training contract at a firm which was 2 hours away from my home, and a salary that barely covered my train tickets, everyone thought I was insane,, but I had a vision and in order to achieve that vision I had to qualify as a Solicitor, I knew the career progression would follow. I have witnessed, first-hand, law graduates who had a desire to work at a top 20 firm, and because they were unable to secure a placement with them, they are still to this date not qualified, 10 years on. Be patient, remain focused and don’t be worried about starting at the bottom, it will all fall into place if you envision it.
If you could change one thing about the transaction process, what would it be?
One thing I would change in the conveyancing process, would relate to the Source of Funds checks and how they are handled. While these checks are essential, they can often cause delays or duplication with Solicitors. I believe where there is a mortgage for a purchase, the checks should be verified by the mortgage brokers and the lender and they should not be passed on to the acting Solicitors. This could improve efficiency, reduce friction for clients and help transactions progress more efficiently.
What has been the best development in conveyancing in the last 20 years?
The digitalisation of ID verification and AML has significantly improved the efficiency and transparency of ID checks and issues. This has strengthened compliance and improved security. This saves the client from having to have their ID certified by a professional or having to go into their firm of solicitors, clients are now able to complete the checks within a few minutes from the comfort of their home any time they can.
And the worst?
Technology has improved transparency and speed in the conveyancing transaction; however, it has also created expectations amongst clients and referrers that transactions should move instantly. There is still two sides to a transaction in a majority of conveyancing transactions and numerous different parties, legal complexities and dependencies that cannot always be accelerated as the process still needs to be complied with.
Do you think conveyancing will ever be fully digitalised?
It is certainly heading in that direction, more particularly with the more administrative and repetitive tasks such as searches, ID checks, progress tracking and document handling. However, property transactions require human judgement and problem solving that technology may not yet be able to do.
Do you think it should be?
No I do not think conveyancing should be fully digitalised but it should be as digitalised as possible. As professionals we should not have to deal with administrative burdens and there should be less duplication in the work that we do and digitalisation should eliminate this. However, professionals are still required to interpret legal issues, manage risk and support client expectations through one of the most important transactions of their life.
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