Category: Our Experts

Potentially the biggest step in your legal career when striving to become a solicitor is the final stretch; completing your training contract.

Nick Cowley, who works on our personal injury team officially entered the roll in July 2020. We spoke to him to find out more about his journey into law and his next steps as a fully qualified solicitor.

Congratulations on qualifying! How did you celebrate?

I held a BBQ in my garden on the Saturday after I qualified to celebrate my success with my family, who have supported me throughout my training.

What are you most looking forward to now you have qualified?

Now that I’m qualified, I am looking forward to continuing to provide quality customer service whilst also expanding my legal knowledge and expertise.

What challenges did you face during your training contract?

Gaining a training contract with a firm is extremely competitive, especially at a firm such as Hampson Hughes which is consistently striving for excellence. It was not an easy process as there have previously been a number of trainee solicitors of a high standard. I am extremely proud to have achieved my goal and very excited for what the future has in store for me at Hampson Hughes.

Why did you choose Hampson Hughes to complete your training contract?

I worked at Hampson Hughes for around 18 months before being offered a training contract. The team here are extremely experienced, high calibre solicitors, so it felt amazing to be able to learn directly from them and be offered the chance to join their ranks as a fully-qualified solicitor.

Prior to receiving a training contract, and during my training period, I worked with a number of teams across different service areas in the firm. This has helped me to develop and expand my knowledge and definitely reinforced my desire to stay with Hampson Hughes.

What’s your greatest achievement (to date!) at Hampson Hughes?

I believe my greatest achievement has been gaining the trust of the firm in allowing me to run my own caseload with a number of strong results. I settled one case in excess of £20,000, which I was particularly proud of. The client was very happy with the outcome and brought in a card and present for me to show her appreciation for the work I had done.

I love supporting clients to get the results they deserve, and the satisfaction of securing them the highest possible outcome is the best reward. But, it was great to get direct positive feedback from my client too!

Finally, what piece of advice would you give to aspiring solicitors?

The best advice I can give is to never give up. The journey might not always be smooth-sailing, but anything worth having generally isn’t! Have faith in yourself and your abilities.

Want to find out more about our team? Check out our blogs for the latest from our staff whether they’re writing about ongoing cases, or sharing advice to those aspiring to begin a legal career.

Ever wondered what it’s like to work as a solicitor for a top law firm? We’ve asked our team of talented legal professionals to share some insight into what a regular day looks like.

We spoke to Alex Lyall, a solicitor within our personal injury department. He qualified as a solicitor in 2019 after completing his LPC full-time followed by 5 years of work at our firm before becoming a trainee solicitor. While no two days in this profession are ever the same, we asked for his take on what a day typically looks like:

05.50 – I start my days early with a trip to the gym before work. I always find that working out before a day in the office puts me in the best frame of mind and gets me started on the right foot.

07.45 – After a good workout, I shower, leave the gym and head into the office ready for the working day. I have always been an early bird and always work best in the mornings.

07.50 – Once in the office, I grab a cup of tea and get settled in at my desk. My first task is to always review my overnight emails. Often, these emails end up dictating your tasks for the day, and I want to ensure all my clients have got a proper response, where possible.

08.30 – Once I’ve gone through my inbox and replied to a few that need urgent responses, I review my task list. At Hampson Hughes, we use the ‘Proclaim’ system, which will has all the tasks pre-set that I need to complete that day. I have a few important jobs to do, including some court-ordered tasks that involve witness statements, directions questionnaires, listings questionnaires and disclosure lists. I get started on these straight away as it requires a lot of work and I want to make sure it’s done as soon as possible!

09.00 – One email I received overnight was from a barrister who I’ve instructed to provide an ‘Advice on Quantum’. This is a document drafted by a barrister which values complex injuries. We’ve completed this particular claimant’s medical evidence, but I now need to review the advice, produce a ‘Schedule of Loss’, prepare a proposed offer for the defendant and create a form of authority for the claimant to approve the making of an offer. This is an important stage of the claim, so it’s vital these documents are completed to the highest quality.

10.30 – I get stuck into my chaser tasks before I head to the court. These can include chasing clients for forms of authority; hospitals and GP practices for medical records; medical agencies for reports and appointments and defendants for offers or further documents which they need me to disclose and add to their case file.

11.30 – I head to the court and meet with the defence lawyer to obtain disclosure of evidence. As is procedure, I review its content in detail.

12.00 – Following my trip to the court, I head out to get some lunch and enjoy the sunshine! It’s always good to get a proper lunch break so you can come back to your desk, refreshed and ready for the afternoon.

13.00 – I head back to the office with all the afternoon post logged onto the system.

13.10 – I begin dealing with the post that has come in, taking instructions on offers and replying as required to the remainder of the post.

14.00 – Now that the post has been sorted, I look at instructing medicals for my clients. This is one of the most crucial parts of the job. I need to make sure the expert knows exactly what I need from them when they produce their report. This is important because expert’s report must only encompass their own knowledge, for example an orthopaedic expert, can only comment on physical injuries and not neurological or psychological pain. I need to make sure they provide a prognosis for injuries which the claimant has previously alleged to have suffered and that they correlate with any other reports we have previously obtained.

14:30 – I have a telephone discussion booked in with a barrister on an issued standard costs case. In personal injury claims, issued claims fall into two types: Fast Track and Multi-Track. Fast Track cases are straight- forward cases where the defendant doesn’t get the right to get their own medical evidence. Multi-Track cases involve defendant medical evidence. In this case, we have just received the defendant’s reports.

I’ve recently spoken to my experts to see if the defendant’s reports change their opinions. The barrister and I discuss the finer points of the case to make sure our claim is prepared so it can settle for between £50,000-£100,000 rather than £10,000-£20,000.

15:30 – One of my clients is suffering from a pain syndrome. As such, I have to instruct rehabilitation for him. Following that, I need to compile documents and evidence for the court to highlight how the claimant has mitigated their loss. Therapy helps them to recover quicker and thus not prolong their loss. This will be vital in obtaining a prognosis for the case.

16.00 – Another telephone conference with a barrister. This time, it’s for a claim that’s in its initial stages. We’ve received a liability denial and have now obtained the claimant’s medical records, together with images of the accident area and injury. The conference is to determine if the claim has sufficient prospects to continue towards obtaining medical reports.

16.50 – Following the call, I dictate my conference notes to a legal secretary for them to type up. This will contain detailed notes about the prospects of the case, what the strengths and weaknesses of the case are and the next steps we need to take.

17.10 – It’s just after 5pm, so I’m finished for the day. Another productive day of supporting my clients and progressing their claims! I’m off home for a meal with my wife at one of our favourite restaurants.

As you can see, the day of a solicitor is extremely varied! It’s one that requires perseverance, concentration and the ability to manage and interchange between different cases and clients. See our current vacancies by viewing our careers page.