How does being a Consultant Solicitor benefit your lifestyle?

VICTORIA HODDER >

Associate Solicitor

Thu 22 August 2019 How does being a Consultant Solicitor benefit your lifestyle?

At Taylor Rose TTKW we pride ourselves on our Consultancy programme. With the programme currently expanding we asked one of our Peterborough based Consultants Victoria Hodder to answer questions about why transferring from an employee position to a Consultant benefitted and improved her lifestyle.

How long have you been a consultant solicitor?

I started as a Consultant Solicitor in June 2019

What qualifications do you have?

I have a law degree and over 10 years’ experience in residential property. I undertook my training contract in 2012 and qualified as a solicitor in 2014 with Taylor Rose TTKW.

What area of the profession do you work in?

Residential Property.

What did you do / where did you work before you became a consultant solicitor?

I was previously employed by Taylor Rose as an Associate Solicitor in their residential property department. I was also a team leader and had my own caseload whilst providing guidance, supervision, and leadership to a large team of conveyancers.

What were the drivers behind you making the change from employed to self-employed status?

There were a number of factors for me, but the biggest appeal was the work/life balance. I have a young daughter and being self-employed has given me the flexibility to manage my working day around her, and stopped me from feeling like I was missing out! My daughter will start school next year, and I didn’t want to be the parent who had to miss out on taking their child, or picking them up, on their first day of school, or not being able to attending their school sports day.

What are the benefits you enjoy as a consultant solicitor?

I have more freedom and flexibility to work on my own terms. I am able to focus more intently on the quality of work I can provide and therefore ensure my clients receive the best customer care, rather than having to split my focus handling typical workplace distractions. Choosing my own working hours helps me create the perfect balance between work and family life.

How does working under the Taylor Rose TTKW endorsement benefit you - and your clients?

One of the most important concepts I have learnt over the years, during my studies and in practise is that the law is never static, and it is forever changing, adapting, and being interpreted or redefined. An important part of being a solicitor is being able to modify and accommodate not only the law, but our clients’ and referrers’ needs. In this respect, Taylor Rose TTKW has always been fairly pioneering; the Firm’s vision is to provide ‘smart modern law’. We provide a contemporary service without compromising on service, which I believe is very important for our clients, who have busy, working lives. Taylor Rose TTKW is a top 200 law firm, one of the leading property law firms in the UK, and both Lexcel and CQS accredited. This establishes a level of credibility for Taylor Rose TTKW with stakeholders such as regulators, lenders, and insurers as well as homebuyers and sellers.

Do you choose to be office based - or work from home - what are the benefits of both?

I choose to be office-based, in doing so I have an excellent relationship with my colleagues; we cross network, motivate one another and I have readily accessible help. For me, working solely from home could make me feel quite isolated and cut-off from everyone else, especially living in a fairly rural area. I do however have the flexibility of working from home, or whilst I am away, if needs be. I can access our systems remotely on days where I need to be at home, whether that’s because my daughter is unwell, I need to wait in for a delivery, or I just don’t want to sit in mundane rush hour traffic. We have also recently moved into a new office with an improved, contemporary workspace whilst boasting facilities such as an on-site gym and a cafe.

What advice would you give any solicitor considering becoming a consultant?

Believe in your own abilities – before I made the move to consultancy I did have a few moments of doubt, several thoughts crossed my mind such as would I be financially stable, would I have an adequate client base, and would I be able to bring in new work on a daily basis. Even after a short period of time being a Consultant Solicitor, these thoughts have nearly been completely eradicated. I have a following of previous clients and referrers, and I believe I am delivering an even higher level of service than I was when I was employed. Being able to make new professional relationships is something you need to be able to do, but something I’ve taken to doing quite naturally, with very little trepidation. That’s not to say that these first few months are not going to be hard; I have put my all into making this consultancy a success for me because I want to go on to reap the rewards and benefits of this opportunity for many years to come.

Consultancy has definitely changed my life for the better, in such a short period of time I have felt the real benefits of my move to being a Consultant Solicitor, more than I could have possibly imagined. Most importantly I am able to provide a first-class service to all of my clients, and deliver the results they require of me and Taylor Rose TTKW.

We currently have Consultancy opportunities avaliable. If you would like to find out more about these opportunities or the benefits of being a consultant solicitor please click here or alternatively get in contact with our Consultant Liason team on 01733 865135 or consultantliasonteam@taylor-rose.co.uk.