LIFE IN LOCKDOWN: A day in the life of a Solicitor in our Wills, Probate and Lasting Power of Attorney team.  Amye Aris, our Wills, Probate and Lasting Powers of Attorney Solicitor shares with us what a typical day is like for her whilst we have been in lockdown.

It is fair to say that the way we all work has changed significantly over the past year and we have all had to adapt to these changes. As a consultant solicitor for New Leaf Solicitors I have always been home-based for my work which is great as it provides lots of flexibility around other commitments, my children, the school run etc. However the juggle of home schooling and having my whole family at home around my work has certainly made me more focused and time efficient!

8:00am – I start my day with a smoothie and walk with my dogs before settling down with our eldest child to start his home-learning for the day.

10:00am – There is a break between lessons and so I check my inbox for incoming emails and respond to those that have come in overnight and begin prioritising my work for the day. We have seen a huge increase in enquiries over lockdown for new wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney as people have realised that it is never too early to get their affairs in order. I provide email quotes and answer the telephone to enquiries.

11:00am – We are continuing to offer appointments for our clients over Zoom or telephone and I conduct my first Zoom appointment of the day whilst my husband takes over home-schooling duties.

12:00pm – I begin to draft a simple single Will for a client who has recently divorced her husband. Her main aim is to ensure that her children are adequately cared for with an inclusion of a guardianship clause if anything happened to her and her ex before their children attained the age of 18 years old.

12:45pm – lunchtime. We all head out for a walk with our two dogs to blow off some steam and enjoy the spring sunshine.

1:30pm – When I return from our walk I answer an email enquiry from a new client who wants to know how their Will would be found if they died suddenly without giving out copies to anyone. I explained that we are a member of Certainty the National Will Register, and as well as storing their Will free of charge we also register it with Certainty. Anyone searching for their Will would immediately be able to locate where their most recent Will is being held.

2:00pm – on one of my Probate files I receive a confirmation email from the executor that the property has now been valued by a RICs certified valuer, and I update the Estate Accounts spreadsheet. I check to see whether I have received all the date of death valuations for the various assets within the Estate and make a file note of what is outstanding.

2:30pm – A married couple have contacted me as they wish to enter into Life Interest Wills as a way of Estate planning for the future if one or both of them needed to reside in a care home. We have a Zoom call to discuss their Wills and I also take their instructions for Lasting Powers of Attorney – both Property and Financial Affairs and Health and Welfare. They instructed that they would want their children to be able to step in and help them with day-to-day living should they be unable to make decisions for themselves in the future; either due to a debilitating illness or because they suffered with dementia. Lasting Powers of Attorney ensure that a trusted family member can assist, and they are grateful that once the documents are signed and registered they will have everything in place should one or both of them need it.

3:30pm – the school day is done and we head out to the park for a play before dinnertime. I can keep an eye on my phone and take any phone enquiries that come in.

4:45pm – I take a call from a lady who has sadly lost her mother due to COVID and provide guidance on the steps in administering her Estate – taking her through the process of applying for Probate and the different levels of service we offer in assisting her with that process.

5:00pm – I review emails for the day and make a plan of tasks to complete tomorrow.

To speak to one of our legal experts please call us on 01908 542 677 or email [email protected] and we will be happy to help you.