Right from the start, I have always loved being a lawyer. I have always been organised, driven and hard-working, and, whilst it infuriates my husband, a bit of a perfectionist! My own mother recalls how, when I was a child, my bedroom was always the tidiest room in the house. These personality traits are typical of many lawyers and so there was a synergy between me and the law.
At the same time, whilst my work has always been an important part of my life, I have always enjoyed life outside of work. There was no doubt in my husband’s mind that we would have children. For me, I wondered whether it would be possible to continue doing what I loved at the same time as being a mother and giving my children the best possible life, because, of course, as lawyers we put this pressure on ourselves to perfect everything.
Thankfully and as I have found out, it absolutely is possible although certainly not easy. Like most mum’s, life is a constant juggle between work, school, after school activities and just trying to manage the mundane tasks of everyday life like washing, shopping and general life admin. However, I am grateful to be working in the profession now that it is more flexible. It wasn’t like that when I started out and the only option was to work full time and in the office.
I am now management lead for the private wealth department at Moore Barlow. We are a different law firm. We don’t just say culture is important. It is an integral part of our business model and what we do. We know that success is a result of a happy and supportive team who are all working hard together to achieve the same goal. We therefore value all our team members and ensure that we can work in the best possible way to achieve our vision. If that is flexibly, that is fine by us. Yes, there have been a few bumps in the road but, whichever path we take, this is the nature of life generally and the fulfilment obtained as a result of the juggle makes it worth it.
How Naomi can help
I am a specialist Private Wealth solicitor with high quality experience in providing advice to individuals and families on issues such as Wills, Powers of Attorney, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Tax Planning including Inheritance Tax advice and the use of Trusts. Contact Naomi Wilkes.