How has LSL Family Law changed over the Covid era?
LSL Family Law hasn’t changed a great deal as a result of Covid. The difference is that we haven’t seen clients face to face. Prior to the pandemic, Linda would meet clients face-to-face and spend the rest of her time working from home. The necessary IT systems were already in place when Covid hit.
The only adaptation Linda had to make was going online to see clients, attend court and carry out mediation sessions. Online meetings have worked so well that it has transformed Linda’s life to an even greater extent. No need to catch the train to London or Brighton – Linda is able to work entirely from home! We have also further streamlined the technology we use. We are always on the lookout for innovative software which will either improve the way we work or enhance the client experience.
Working from home benefits: more than just saving costs!
Most people associate the benefits of working from home with saving time and money and a better quality of life, but there is more to it than that. Another huge advantage is that you can work anywhere you want. You can go away, work remotely and produce the same high quality of work because the technology is at your fingertips. The flexibility to work remotely is something Linda was accustomed to before Covid. A few Christmases ago, Linda visited family in Australia and she was able to carry on with her work just as she would in her home office. Linda’s clients received exactly the same level of service, but with a few kangaroos bouncing around in the background!
Homeworking is also a welcome relief from office politics, as Linda explains. In the past, if you left the office early – to attend sports day or parents’ evening for example – there was incredible sense of guilt and the fear of being perceived as a slacker. Colleagues might not be aware that you would be beavering away at home, up until the small hours of the morning to make sure that everything was done. Returning to the office after working from home can feel as if you are going back to a culture of distrust, which is a pity. Working from home as a consultant means no more guilt trips – no more accounting for every minute and having to explain what you are doing.
Tanya can relate to the guilt Linda has described and really values being able to enjoy family life while being trusted to get her work done and look after her clients. The feeling of being trusted is incredibly important; the culture of squeezing every penny out of people every minute of the day is an awful way to work and it doesn’t create a healthy atmosphere. As Tanya notes, the focus should be on the quality of care and service you give to your clients rather than whether you are seen at your desk or meet your billing target every month.
As a family law consultant with LSL Family Law, there are no billing targets. It is entirely up to the individual to decide how much they want to earn. There are no limits to your earning potential: you get out what you put in and you can work the number of hours that you feel comfortable with.
Tanya manages the amount of work she does every day and can fit domestic life around her career: dog walks, the school run, school meetings – all of it! And yes, homeworking is purrrfect for pets! With vast swathes of the country working from home during the pandemic, our adored pets have become accustomed to twenty-four-hour attention! Linda’s dog definitely approves of homeworking, lying at her feet wherever she works!
Last, but by no means least, working from home means that you can wear what you want – attending court in jeans is finally possible (as long as you pop a jacket on).
Does working remotely mean working in isolation?
Not with LSL Family Law! As Tanya attests, Linda has created a mutually supportive team environment and we all love to meet up whether online or in person. In person gatherings generally involve lunch, a good old chat to find out how everyone is getting on and an exchange of ideas about training and the latest family law developments.
Curious to find out more?
This article contains extracts from a Podcast with Linda Lamb and Tanya Foster, which you can listen to here.
If you are a family lawyer who is dreading returning to pre-2020 working patterns, come and join us! The LSL Family Law way of working means that our model fits around you.
If you would like an informal chat with Linda or Tanya about what LSL Family law has to offer, why not have an online cup of tea or coffee with us? Give the team a call on 01273 041011 or email helen@lslfamilylaw.co.uk. If you would like to find out more about working with us visit lslfamilylaw.co.uk/recruitment We look forward to hearing from you!
