Day in the life of a final seat trainee in the Private Client Team

Meet Alice Kirkham, a trainee solicitor at HCR Law currently undertaking her final seat in the Private Client team in Worcester. There’s no such thing as a typical day for a trainee – or perhaps anyone in the legal profession – and that’s what makes the job so dynamic and rewarding.

I arrive at the office at 8.45am and always look to begin my day with a cup of tea whilst checking my emails. It’s a quiet, grounding moment before the pace picks up where I map out my tasks for the day.

This morning, I receive instructions from my supervisor to draft an emergency will for a terminally ill client. Given the urgency, this takes priority over my other work. I review my supervisor’s attendance note from their initial meeting with the client and liaise with them to ensure the draft reflected the client’s wishes accurately. In Private Client, and particularly matters like this, sensitivity and speed go hand in hand.

Mid-morning, I attend a client meeting with my supervisor to take instructions on drafting Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA). During the meeting it becomes apparent that these LPAs are also urgent – the client is elderly and shares concerns about their declining health.

I observe my supervisor ask the client subtle questions to assess their capacity, discuss the clients preferences around their attorneys, and explain the practicalities of certification and registration. I prepare an attendance note following the meeting and spend the rest of my morning drafting the LPAs so they can be sent to the client on the same day.

As always, the morning flies by. During my lunch break I head to M&S to find those new white chocolate and gingerbread cookies. An essential sweet treat for the afternoon!

I spend the first half of the afternoon catching up on other client matters and responding to various emails. I chase ID documents, respond to queries on inheritance tax forms, nudge along a probate application and look to tick off smaller tasks to keep our matters moving.

Mid-afternoon, my supervisor and I leave the office to visit a client at their home. The clients have instructed us to help with their lifetime estate planning. The clients live on a working farm and wish to show us their business so we can tailor our advice accordingly. I keep an attendance note as my supervisor discusses the client’s options and how we can assist them by using the relevant reliefs, whilst we still have them.

Five o’clock has quickly arrived. The Private Client Team and I are off to celebrate at the Worcestershire Law Society Awards where we have been shortlisted for Team of the Year, and I have been shortlisted for Trainee Solicitor of the Year. It’s a proud moment and a reminder that hard work and the team’s client-first focus attitude is recognised beyond the office.