So today was the first day back at work after the so called holidays (even though I was in the office for a few days in between).
Everything was as it seemed, until I realised people were being called in to see the team leader one by one. I was hoping it was to do with bonuses as these are paid every 6 months. How wrong I was.
I saw my friend working away and then glanced a couple of hours later only to realise she wasn’t there. I’m very sure I heard another colleague take a call on one of this girl’s files and said ‘she no longer works with us.’ Urm WHAT. I found out she got made redundant today with immediate effect. She must have been in the office for all of 2 hours. I can’t believe it.
She had under a years service and she was made redundant. I can’t help but think about my job and my position. Is any job actually fully secure? Ever?
I just hope this doesn’t happen to me, my years service is completed in March 2011 :s
The UK Supreme Court today ruled that prenuptial agreements are binding! Previously prenuptial agreements were only considered persuasive (as taught on the LPC too!)
The case concerned a couple who married and signed a prenuptial agreement in 1998 and divorced in 2007. Mrs was an heiress and Mr signed confirming he would not make a claim on her fortune if they split up. He however was awarded £5.85 million by a High Court Judge in 2008. Mrs challenged this and appealed to the Court of Appeal who confirmed that the prenuptial agreement should have been taken into account. They also agreed that Mrs should be protected as per the signed agreement. Mr’s lump sum was reduced to £1 million. Mr appealed as he felt this wasn’t enough for him to live on and he would be in financial ruin if he accepted the same. (hey you can go a long way with £1 million Mr!!) This was then denied again on appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court did confirm that it can add a lot of weight to a case depending on the circumstances. The Court confirmed that any prenuptial or post nuptial agreement regarding children and their welfare, would be weighed at the discretion of the Court if it was found to be unfair to the children.
My question is would you consider making a prenuptial agreement or even a post nuptial agreement? Does it then turn into a marriage of money and not love? I wouldn’t want a prenuptial agreement but then if I was an heiress/multi-millionaire I would want my money/inheritance protected somehow. I know one couple who have got a prenuptial agreement and they have said it was to protect their assets.
The Law Commission is due to report in 2012 on whether a change in the law should be made to ensure pre-nuptial agreements are fully enforceable.
In the words of Kanye West, does everyone agree ‘we want a pre nup yeah’ ?
Well although this new promotion is imminent, I have decided to up the job application process.
I have realised I don’t particularly like my job, I’m actually starting to hate it. I don’t think I ever really loved the job in the first place. It was always for experience and for now, until I found something else.
I want to progress and although I am, I feel like I am wasting away at my current role. I don’t want to be in a position where I am ‘stuck’ again in a job. I shall be keeping a look out with all agencies, using social media to find a job and generally applying for jobs to further my career.
Just looking at job sites, and the position is still just as bad as it was when I was looking at jobs earlier this year. Fingers crossed I can find something soon.
It has been six months since I have been at my “new” job. It feels like much longer but then at points it feels like it’s gone by so quickly.
Things are progressing really well at work, I’m trying to be organised and up to date on all my files. I won’t deny that it is a very stressful job at times, but my team mates sorta help with that element of the job.
Just today I was presented with an opportunity I don’t think I could deny. It’s too good to miss, it’s an important part in making this firm even bigger than it already is and involves the Internet in a big way. I along with one of my current team mates will be a part of it. I won’t go into the full details, until it’s actually fully confirmed but it definitely means exciting times ahead.
I want to be a part of something new and different. I am extremely scared/nervous about this at all times. I can’t not take the opportunity with both hands, it just feels like my current team mates may not be happy about it. I will still be near them but just not in their team, it will feel weird but it’s all part of progressing. I wouldn’t want to miss out on an opportunity just because someone else isn’t happy for me. It’s just hard to have both.
So it’s been two whole months at my job already. Time really does fly by! Minus the daily hour commute I really like my role.
This week has been REALLY busy so far but still all part of the learning experience. I now have quite a few files of my own that I need to look after which is great. The most annoying part of my job is that the phone always rings when you’re in the middle of something! I like my team and I think we get along quite well. Even ‘the girl’ isn’t all bad.
There is however one downside, every 11 or so weeks we are rota’d in to do the late shift of 12 til 8. I did it last week and it wasn’t that bad but still a drag nevertheless! I have already been set up with targets for this month as well so I feel even more part of the team. I’m scared of having a bigger volume case load now, as the work can be so stressful, especially when Agents, Solicitors and clients are chasing ALL the time. All part of the job though eh?
As a law student I didn’t think there was much available online as help and or guidance for those studying law. It seems the wonderful world of the Internet has seen a huge increase in law related help guides and all around guidance on becoming a solicitor,studying law and all other aspects of a legal career. This is a good move for the profession and makes information readily available to those wishing to pursue a career in law.
I found on my stats that this site referred to my blog, so thank you very much for that
The College of Law’s Legal Services Policy Institute has proposed a somewhat interesting take on qualifying to be a Solicitor.
The proposal states that once a student completes the LPC they are a qualified solicitor. However the only work they will be able to do is ‘unreserved legal activities such as transactional work or employment advice.’ Basically a glorified paralegal role. If a ‘qualified solicitor’ would then want rights of audience then they would have to complete further training at a law firm similar to that of the current training contract.
Although this sounds good on paper, it would then make it much more easier to become a qualified solicitor, yet you wouldn’t quite be a full qualified solicitor, as you would have no rights of audience. The profession would then be not as somewhat special as it is now. Would this mean that any tom, dick and harry would then qualify once they pass the LPC?
Don’t get me wrong as I really wish the process in qualifying as a solicitor was a lot easier but I would rather be a fully qualified solicitor, not just one that can do the paperwork. I mean I do the paperwork now! It would also possibly mean that the older generation will be the one’s attending court as the younger generation wouldn’t have a clue unless they did the further training. But on the other hand so many people like myself could be qualified in an instant!
Another thing is that would this mean the end of paralegals and legal executives? They are somewhat similar roles to the proposed changes.
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how far this goes!!
