Our new team member – Claire-Louise Smith

Claire-Louise Smith – Blog

I had always wanted to pursue a career in law ever since I was a child. I always had a perception of fairness and making sure that everyone was treated the same. However, a last minute choice of a Business Commerce degree meant that I was propelled into a sales and marketing career path. Not what I had expected but it did give me valuable experience in learning about client care and building working relationships both within the automotive industry and the beauty industry. Both on completely opposite end of the spectrum, however both were great experiences.

When I became pregnant with my daughter I took the opportunity to reevaluate my life. I considered whether now was the time to revert back to my original career plan. Part of me felt I was too “old” at 36(!) to go back to studying but a hard shove from my Aunt encouraged me to “stop being daft” and to make enquiries with a Law School.

At this point I had moved down South from the Midlands to be nearer to family with my dog, Gizmo the pug-tzu and daughter in tow. My parents lived abroad in France and I felt that I needed to be nearer to other family members for support as I was raising my daughter alone. I had always loved the area and used to come down for the Christmas period most years as a child and it always held good memories for me. This was definitely the right decision for us to make.

I began studying with CILex Law School with a distance learning course when my daughter was just 9 months old. I studied around her naps and took the time in the evenings to work towards the next module in the course. I had to be consistent but I knew that it would be worth it all in the long term. It felt good to work towards a life that I was creating for my daughter and I.

I managed to secure a job with a local law firm as a legal secretary whilst continuing to study. Again a steep learning curve and I gained experience in conveyancing, commercial property and private client matters. I was taking exams every 6 months to get ever closer to the final qualification. I could be  found revising on the bus, notes were all over my house and I would listen to recorded notes whilst I walked to the next errand of the weekend. Again, consistency was key and after 4 years I had finally reached my last exam! I had chosen to specialise in Wills and Succession, Family and Commercial Property Law and I had reached the end of all the revising and exams!

After three years I was ready to take the next step in my career and begin a carrying out “qualifying employment”. The office had moved location further away from home but I remained and I began working within the Wealth Management and Family Law departments gaining a wealth of experience. However, the journey was now much longer than before and it began to take its toll. I therefore decided to look for a position more local to home.

A good friend of mine knew Emma Rothstein, one of the partners at Pearson Hards and had heard what a lovely firm they were and made the introduction and here I am! I am so pleased to be working with such a friendly and welcoming team of people.

I work in the Wealth Management department specialising in Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate matters.

I have a deep understanding of how life can get difficult and how the pressure of important decisions can affect us. This translates into how I can support my clients in emotional and difficult times. I always take the time to understand clients’ needs and will ensure that matters are completed efficiently. After all, proficient time management is now a skill I have had a bit of practice in!