To think that a solicitor is not a key worker?

[Sandiepatterson]

Grrr, three sets of parents at our school are solicitors. Not family lawyers dealing with courts but plain old private client wills and trust lawyers. They most definitely could WFH but no, they've ALL sent their kids to school.
AIBU to think they are being unreasonable?

@Fembot123 in fairness, nor do I, but I don't get out much lately

I think thats probably more terrifying though tbh because clearly these people do walk among us, make the right noises and smiling to our faces but behind our backs are bitter, jealous individuals who'd report their own bloody Grandma's.

How is someone going to get their will updated on their deathbed if their solicitor is too busy homeschooling?

Yes I understand private client lawyers definitely are key workers. A lot of the documents they work with have to be originals/witnessed signatures etc. Some of signatures I think can now be witnessed via zoom but not all.

Having said that I know a lot of private client solicitors and not a single one of them is currently putting their kids in school. Just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean you should.

See Law Society Guidance - a Solicitor dealing with wills is clearly on there on list as a keyworker. Guidance is perfectly sensible only use keyworker space if absolutely necessary. Plus others areas of law on list too eg those involved in court work, police station duty solicitor etc. I said this on accountant thread but just because you can wfh doesn’t always mean it’s possible for client confidentiality or suitable for children to be in room. I saw and heard stuff as a Trainee in Crime, child protection, mental health that has stayed with me no way would it be appropriate to expose a child to it. If you are advising a domestic violence victim or attending a court hearing by telephone totally inappropriate to have a 5 year old saying Mummy what’s anal rape? The work can’t always be done out of office hours and whilst you can stick a child on an iPad for a short while you can’t leave young children safely unattended for hours uninterrupted.

Judgy and jealous OP

We lost a family member recently and we have submit a probate application before the end of Feb . In order to do so, we need to get a solicitor to confirm our details in some way (something to do with confirming we are the next of kin/executors - there is no will) and we also need them to answer some queries for us before we can complete the form correctly. So, I would say YABU. Lockdown does not excuse us from doing this before the deadline.

And solicitors need to work, they can't stop working... so that makes them essential workers

So basically, anyone not on furlough is an essential key worker to you then?

Basically OP is right. There is a lot on the news about the definition of key worker being so wide that it is undermining the effort get the pandemic under control.

[quote AdobeWanKenobi]@Fembot123 in fairness, nor do I, but I don't get out much lately

I think thats probably more terrifying though tbh because clearly these people do walk among us, make the right noises and smiling to our faces but behind our backs are bitter, jealous individuals who'd report their own bloody Grandma's.[/quote]
It’s really gross, and there are sooo many variants of the same thread about Keyworkers children, I’ve been told on this site that my child is probably going to catch it at school and kill my DH 😬 I work in a school and he works outdoors so Indont have a choice, short of giving up my job and a lot of posters positively encourage that!

@surelynotnever

And solicitors need to work, they can't stop working... so that makes them essential workers

So basically, anyone not on furlough is an essential key worker to you then?

Basically OP is right. There is a lot on the news about the definition of key worker being so wide that it is undermining the effort get the pandemic under control.

Exactly. I need to work (I am a solicitor but not in any of these areas of law) but that doesn't make me a key worker except insofar that my taxes are required to pay the critical workers.

Equally this is true just because you can wfh doesn’t always mean it’s possible for client confidentiality or suitable for children to be in room

But on the whole, I think most solicitors can and do work around their kids.

Unless these parents are lying AND taking up a space that should go to your DC, I fail to see how this is any of your business.

Our solicitor WFH under the first lockdown and she couldn't do it, so it took us all year to get the conveyancing done for our really straightforward house sale so we could move abroad before Brexit rules changed and would have meant we couldn't establish residence in EU.

OP do you want to pay me the £6000 in rent, £2800 in storage (to date, all now stuck on the wrong side of the Brexit border because we couldn't move in time) and £45,000 in loss of earnings because we couldn't move into our house or start our new jobs for 12 months longer than it should have taken?

Didn't think so.

I think they are being unreasonable, but unless the government narrows the definition of who can send a child to school, not much you can do about this.

Interesting! My DH is a solicitor and I'm a manager of a different law firm. Neither of us have even considered sending our children to school! It do think it depends on how your children deal with home schooling. Mine are used to be wfh some I think they've found it easier than others.

How do you know so much about the cases these two solicitors are handling OP?

Honestly you'd be a lot happier just minding your own business.

Dh is a solicitor.

It didn’t even cross our minds that solicitors would be key workers. They’re really not!

I really do despair how sheltered people are. Domestic violence and child abuse have increased due to covid. Who do people expect to deal with it? Also how do you know exactly what area of law they do. I’m a Solicitor but most school mums and neighbours don’t know this and those that do would have no idea what area exactly I practice in (not a keyworker!)

@OrigamiOwl

Houses are still being sold, cost e cases are still being held, wills are still needed, couples are still divorcing...

Exactly

To be fair you sound proper nosy 😂

I'm a solicitor (children and domestic abuse) and DH is a solicitor (personal injury). We're both WFH with 3 children and it is, in general, a fucking nightmare.
We are just about managing to juggle, but our 2 school aged children are on the keyworker list at school just in case we both have to be in (remote) court at the same time, because it is totally inappropriate to have children interrupting court hearings and against the law for a person other than the parties and representatives to be present for the hearing without the court's permission.
Thankfully not had to use the keyworker place yet, but it's reassuring to have it there.
Lots of my colleagues have sent their kids into school this time and we are being actively encouraged to do so by bosses.
I understand why solicitors are listed as key workers. Whether all of us doing so is in the spirit of ending covid, I would question. It's shit for everyone and we should try and manage if we can.

If everyone concentrated on their own family and life MN would be a quiet place!

@CarryOnFestiveNamechanging

Dh is a solicitor.

It didn’t even cross our minds that solicitors would be key workers. They’re really not!

They really are. Solicitor’s office here.

@CarryOnFestiveNamechanging

They’re not all critical workers - it’s not a blanket inclusion. Solicitors undertake a diverse range of work. The Law Society has published guidance on what kinds of solicitors are critical workers (link shared on the first page). Wills and probate solicitors are included, for obvious reasons.

YANBU. Lots of key workers in one of my DC’s classes this lockdown. So many that 11 of a class of 15 are attending. A few are part time, work two days a week, others are classed as vulnerable ( and as I know them quite well, this one baffles me). Makes me wonder why I am at home struggling to homeschool two kids, one who is behind and struggling prior to this lockdown, study, help DH with his ailing business ( again lockdown impacting), who is losing income and livelihood and keep the preschooler and toddler entertained. All for the greater good of protecting the NHS. It’s a farce.

Thank you to whoever shared the law soc guidance. I’m a solicitor dealing with civil cases and inquests and I assumed I wasn’t a critical worker but on the basis of that guidance maybe I am.
Our kids are in school as DP is front line police, school is not overcrowded, head has confirmed they’re happy to have them in.

Mn has made me feel like total crap recently for daring to send them in (many threads hidden!) but I feel a tiny bit better now having read this.

Sending strength to all the lawyers out there, it’s a hard job to do, especially if you’re trying to deal with kids too.

I'm surprised too.
I would have thought only criminal lawyers would count and that litigators and probate could send their children in on the day of a hearing or if they had to take instructions in person.
I'm a solicitor.