Category: business

business, job; career; money; raise; pay; increase, Law

£648K for doing your job

bruceandholly

How would you like to earn £648,000 just for doing your job?  Well, that’s the average Eversheds paid to each member of its LLP up to the year ending 30 April, 2023, according to the Law Society Gazette.  And that’s just the average.  The highest paid member of Eversheds LLP received a cool £3.1m in the same year, up from £2.3m in the previous year. Of course, most lawyers don’t earn £648,000 a year, even those who are at the top of their game.  In fact, if it’s money or after, you may be better off applying to be a London tube driver.  They earn an annual average wage of £59,000.  With overtime, you might even top £100,000.  And they are still going on strike for more!

Young publicly funded barristers, barely scraping the national minimum wage, would envy that kind of money.  No wonder, they also went on strike in 2022.  So why do we do it?

Maybe it’s not just about the money.  Maybe you don’t fancy driving down long dark tunnels in isolation in the early hours.  Maybe you want a job where every day is a little different and where you can act on your own initiative.  If so, you’ve come to the right place.  Let us introduce you to the world’s most exciting profession.

Lawyers have existed since the beginnings of civilisation.  It was lawyers who created our system of common law.  Our unwritten constitution.  If you get caught up in the criminal justice system, it may be the skill of your lawyer which determines whether you will be acquitted or possibly convicted, even for something which was not your fault.  Don’t think that because you are a law-abiding citizen you can’t be caught up in the criminal justice system. Tell that to the 736 sub postmasters who were wrongly prosecuted as result of the defective Horizon Computer. Tell that to the 78-year-old pensioner, who was arrested for murder after a burglar had died breaking into his house.  So what makes a good lawyer?

It Is not just about knowing the law.  Anyone can do that.  It is more about your attitude.  It is primarily about your enthusiasm for what you are doing.

Enthusiasm is contagious.  Clients will sense it.  They will know that you are the right person to look after their interests.  Enthusiasm means that you don’t mind putting in the hours to get the right result.  Enthusiasm means that you will take the trouble to develop the best working relationships, not only with your clients, but with everyone else with whom you deal in your work.  Enthusiasm means that you will not cut corners.  Is that you? Then you should think seriously about a career in the law.  That career could be more accessible than you might think.

business

Covid Lockdowns. Heralding a new way of working

bruceandholly
Photo by Toni Cuenca on Pexels.com

For me, one of the positives to come out of the repeated covid lockdowns were the changes in the way Britain works.  It was the opportunity to adopt hybrid working, which, for most people, did not exist before covid.  No more traipsing through the rush hour to a crowded workplace.  Instead, we can now choose where to work.  And get more done as we don’t waste time travelling.  It is fortuitous that the lockdown came in the wake of technical developments, such as a ‘Zoom’ or ‘Teams’, which enables us to meet online instead of wasting half a day travelling through London.  Before, we only had conference calls. It was also, during these tiresome lockdowns, that I was able to make my own office arrangements by renting pop-up desk-space at any of the dozens of Regus co-working centres which now exist across the UK.  It was also a chance to network and meet other people from a range of disciplines. And surprisingly affordable.

At the moment, my workspace is a small box room at my home.  It’s cramped, but I am kitted out with everything I would have if I worked and a proper office, including a large monitor screen, a laser printer and scanner.  If it’s a sunny day, I can even take my work out into the back garden and set up my equipment.  I love sitting under the palm tree.  It provides a bit of shade so I can see the screen.  I don’t have a secretary.  Nor do most property professionals these days.  But I don’t care. I still have the ability to dictate my work in volume using Microsoft voice-dictation.  It’s why it’s only taken me an hour to write this piece. Some people find that my dictation disturbs them. But when I’m working at home that ain’t a problem.

Do I feel lonely?  Nah!  I don’t have time to feel lonely.  There’s just too much going on in my life.  Although I am already well past retirement age, I don’t want to retire.  What else would I do?  Walk a golf course with other retirees?  No thank you. I’d rather do this.  Although I’m still at the conveyancing sharp end, I love to write about what I do.

During June 2021, my book, Essential Law for Cemetery and Crematorium Managers became Amazon’s number one best-selling business-law book.  Even if it was only for a few days.  But although other books, including Legal Profession: is it for you? have also enjoyed significant success, not all my self-publications have sold as well as I would like.  Usually, when a book doesn’t sell, it’s because of problems within the book itself.  It is why I am currently working on a relaunch of a personal memoir, which I co-wrote with my partner, Farida J Manekshah, back in 2016.  It was my first self-publication, and to be quite frank, I can quite understand why no-one wanted to buy it.  But maybe things will be different with a comprehensive re-work of the text, a new title and an exciting professionally produced front cover.  Yep!  It’s all gonna change.  Yes sirree.  It’s all a learning curve and I’ll let you know as soon as it comes out.

In the meantime, please take a look at Legal Profession: is it for you?  You don’t have to be a lawyer to enjoy reading it.  Thank you.

business, housing, Law, property, real estate, society, writing

Positive Feedback From Today’s Conveyancer

bruceandholly
Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

As a published legal writer it is always encouraging to receive positive editorial feedback. Here is something I received January 24th 2023 from Jamie Lennox, the Editor of Today’s Conveyancer. I also enclose a link to the article which generated that feedback.

Dear Viv

I hope you’re well. Just wanted to drop you a note regarding your recently published piece on Leaseholder Deeds of Certificate. It’s been incredibly popular with our readership: the data shows it’s been read more than any other piece over the last 7 days, and we’ve heard it’s been shared on social media and Rob Hailstone’s Bold Legal Forum too. Thus, a big thank you is in order from me!

I think it’s particularly relevant to the current discourse surrounding the ever-increasing complexity of conveyancing. I’ve heard one conveyancer suggest a separate law degree is required for the BSA 2022 alone! With climate change guidance just around the corner from the Law Soc, I imagine a similar conversation will take place.

Should you want to follow up this piece with any more guidance/best practice, we’d bite your hand off. Let me know your thoughts.

Thank you

Jamie Lennox

Editor

https://todaysconveyancer.co.uk/leaseholder-deeds-of-certificate-what-you-need-to-know/: Positive Feedback From Today’s Conveyancer Read more: Positive Feedback From Today’s Conveyancer

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business, politics, property, society

Beat Business Energy Bills with an Open Window and Natural Light

bruceandholly

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Why have UK businesses become so energy dependent that their entire existence can be held to ransom by recent price-hikes.  Of course, energy is required for most industrial processes including refrigeration and food preparation.  But why this obsession with artificial lighting and air-conditioning?

 I have worked in offices all my adult life.  I have never asked to sit behind tinted glass in artificial lighting and freezing air conditioning.  It has been imposed on me. I’m sure that it hasn’t always been like that.  I would much rather enjoy natural light and the ability to open a window if I feel stuffy.  It means that I won’t have to take a pullover to work because of the air-conditioning, when the temperature is a sunny 100° outside.  Think about the energy cost of creating this unnecessary artificially controlled environment?  Think about the climate.  It’s the same with shops.  Why do shops always have to have the lights blazing to prove that they are open?

A couple of weeks back, I visited my local pet shop to pick up some cat litter.  They had recently moved premises and had not yet had the electricity connected.  But the natural light coming in through the window was good enough for me to find my cat litter and complete my purchase.

Three months ago, there was a power cut at my local Tesco supermarket.  Again, there was enough natural light for me to complete my shopping.  It was just as I could not get it through the till.  Today I went to the local Internet cafe at the end of our road to print out some documents.  I was pleased to see the staff sitting in natural light and only using electricity to power their computers and printer.  At least they are saving some money. 

Going forward, the construction of commercial buildings has to change, with windows that open and which maximize the amount of natural light coming in during daylight hours.  Also, a change of mindset.  Is that so difficult?