Naomi Seymore

5.00 AM  

I wake up to my puppy jumping on my bed. She has no appreciation for the time or the fact that my alarm hasn’t even gone off. 

I grab my work bag and my lunch which usually pre-packed. I know I don’t think well before coffee. 

6.30 AM 

I meet a work colleague at Castle Hill for some exercise before we start the day. We grab a much needed coffee afterwards as our reward.  

7.45 AM  

I arrive at the office, have a shower and have my breakfast. It is so handy having the option to exercise before work and not have to rush all the way home for a shower.  

My office is at the end of the hallway, so I catch up with everyone on the way to my desk.  

8.30 AM  

It is officially the start of the work day.  

I log on and check my emails. This morning I have quite a few emails from my clients returning documents or asking questions.  

Some emails I can action immediately because they are non-legal questions or simple administration tasks. I make sure to add to my to-do list any emails which require a more detailed response or consideration.  

Once I have checked my emails, I check my diary to see what the day ahead looks like. Today will be busy because we have quite a few appointments.  

9.00 AM  

The first task of the day is drafting an advice letter to a client. In this matter, one of the deceased’s children is bringing a claim for further provision from the estate. Estate litigation matters are always very interesting and fast paced.  

In the letter I get to detail the process for making a claim, the eligibility criteria, the steps to resolution and any other potential factors which might be relevant to the client. These advice letters are quite long and give you a chance to think about the application of the law from start to finish.  

11.00 AM 

Today I have an appointment with my mentor. Our firm runs an internal mentoring program where junior solicitors are paired with a partner who is not their usual supervisor. This is a great opportunity to get feedback and discuss questions with someone who isn’t your boss. It’s also a great opportunity to hear about another lawyers career path and the reasons they love their job.  

12.00 PM  

I have a quick catchup with my workgroup partner regarding any file questions I have. We have an open-door policy so it is quick and easy to ask questions during the day. I find this time very useful as I can make sure my matters are progressing and I am understanding my tasks.   

1.00 PM

Time for lunch!  

I head to the lunch room to enjoy conversations with my colleagues. It is nice to have a quick break from work and refresh my mind.  

2.00 PM  

My workgroup partner and I are off to the hospital to take instructions for a Will. Our client won’t be discharged for a few weeks but wanted to make some urgent changes to their Will.   

My workgroup partner chats with the client and takes their instructions. During these appointments I will take notes of the instructions and any other relevant details.  

We get back to the office and  I prepare a  file note, draft the client’s Will and send all the relevant documents to my workgroup partner to approve.  My workgroup partner will sit with me and go through any changes which need to be made. This is a great way for me to learn hands-on because I receive feedback on documents I have actually written. 

I always book the boardroom with the most windows to see what the weather is like. Our offices don’t have windows so it is a nice chance to see the sky.  

5.15 PM 

It’s home time! I make sure my desk is tidy and I have a to-do list ready for tomorrow morning.  

I am going home to relax and get ready for the day ahead.