Name: Laura Neal Firm: Forsters LLP Location: London University: University of Edinburgh Undergraduate degree: History
detailed tax advice”. However, private client law is intrinsically client-focused, meaning that there is also an abundance of client facetime. “Unlike with other practice areas where you don’t get to meet with clients very often, I usually have one or two client meetings each day. If you’re drafting someone’s will, for example, you need to have a clear understanding of how their personal wealth is structured and how they relate to the rest of their family, which can often only be gleaned from face-to- face meetings.” Unlike with other practice areas where you don’t get to meet with clients very often, I usually have one or two client meetings each day This mix of the technical and the personal demands a varied skill set, Laura suggests, highlighting three particularly important attributes for private client solicitors: “The first is to have an analytical mind, as lots of the work is interpreting black letter law.” Second, it is useful to have a good memory “because of the longstanding relationships with clients – you might be in a meeting and someone will say ‘oh we did this planning the other day’ and ‘the other day’ might have been seven or eight years ago!” Finally, it is absolutely crucial to have excellent interpersonal skills. “Much like family law, you may be advising clients at tricky personal times; there’s no escaping that much of the work that we do revolves around death,” Laura warns. “You need to have high levels of emotional intelligence.” Human element However, this only makes the job even more rewarding. “The real highlights for me are
the personal thank yous from clients, which often mean much more than highly technical achievements,” Laura reflects. “You know that you’ve done a good job when clients seek your opinion on matters which are entirely non-legal. Building up a role as a trusted adviser is always the aim.” She continues: “A lot of the work involves drafting entirely bespoke documents, because no two families are ever the same. Ultimately, we give personal advice – the reward feels much greater, because you’ve done a good job for the client personally, rather than the entity for which they work. I like the human element of it.” Go in with your eyes open Laura’s main advice for those contemplating a career as a solicitor is to do as much research as possible. “Speak to people who work in the industry, as many as you can, because then you’re really going into it with your eyes open,” she suggests. “One thing I wish I’d known is how all law firms are very different, so think about the type of firm you might want to work for – not just in terms of culture but in terms of clients and practice area. I was lucky in that I knew that I wanted to qualify as a private client lawyer so applied to firms with that offering, but if you don’t have an idea of which specialism you want to go into, do your research. Not all firms offer the same practice areas so do your homework!”
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