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?

@Gratefulrunner

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’ve felt bad too but I send my primary son in so I can go to work in a secondary and DH works outdoors and can’t work from home. There is a lot of anger around at the moment and misplaced jealousy, I’d love to keep DS at home but I don’t have that choice. He is only one of 5 in a class of 30.

I think the point that is missed about many key worker roles is that its not just about working from home being difficult with children - it is about productivity. There is a such a backlog in my work (justice system) that on balance it is better for society that i work at full capacity with my children attending school. Nothing particularly noble about struggling through while homeschooling children.

Of course yabu. I needed a solicitor recently due to dads passing, couldn’t be done over the phone, I went in and all completed behind a glass screen

@KatieGGGG

“You can't work from home and appear in court at the same time

You absolutely can, because many courts are doing remote hearings at the moment.”

And how do you imagine the judges, defenders, and vulnerable witnesses find children roaming around the background? Honest to god.

They deal with it. I have done hearings from home (not whilst homeschooling too yet, thankfully). My cat put in an appearance though.

I used to work in this area. As so many PP have said it is really busy at the moment given that 2020 saw the highest number of annual deaths since just after WW2. Probate deadlines still need to be met so the work still needs to be done. Also, solicitors working in this area also do income tax etc for individuals and trusts and tax returns need to be completed and reviewed as HMRC has not relaxed the 31 January deadline so this is an incredibly busy time of the year. Given the financial crisis getting tax in is pretty important.

Yep, try telling my boss that. No furlough for us

I’m a solicitor and not classed as a key worker, though clearly the government and Law Soc guidance states SOME are and I would never begrudge anyone sending their kids to school to concentrate on those key worker tasks. It really isn’t any of my business and it’s not a competition. This whole situation is a nightmare for us all and anyone who has to concentrate for any amount of time on a single task when young kids are home has my sympathy . Many female solicitors/barristers I work with and against fire fight urgent matters during the day (splitting responsibilities with a DP if they’re WFH too) and sit down to do a full day’s work after the kids are in bed. The days when witness evidence or arbitration has to be done remotely are interesting to say the least. Hopefully we’ll get through it without too many colleagues burning out...

Nothing particularly noble about struggling through while homeschooling children

Considering we're in the midst of a pandemic and in lockdown, I'd say that actually keeping your children at home is a noble thing to do.

'It’s basically inconvenient and difficult to WFH whilst home schooling with ANY job. I think if you’re physically able to WFH - so not a nurse, supermarket worker - something ‘key’ then you should suck it up. Unpopular opinion but realistically no job is easy to do whilst home schooling.'

Totally agree. Wfh shouldn't be included! school should be for those who cannot wfh only. Aren't we supposed to be keeping household mixing down to you know get the rates down?!

I don’t find remote or telephone hearings that simple. It’s not a case of just logging into the virtual hearing and doing it, and it’s fine if a kid or cat is in the background. Eg completely depends on what the judge is like as to how tolerant they are to interruptions. Also hard to concentrate on complex legal arguments if you’re being distracted by the dc.
And it’s not just the hearing itself, the lead up often involves drafting documents/statements, taking instructions, negotiating with the other side.

Not trying to say it’s impossible to do from home/with kids around of course. But if I have a choice about whether my kids are in the house whilst I’m working then I’ll send them to school. (And full recognise many can’t at the moment whilst dealing with difficult jobs)

formerbabe sorry badly worded - i meant it is not always the best thing. We need the justice system to keep going. There must be other areas where its better that staff can work at full capacity as well.

It’s basically inconvenient and difficult to WFH whilst home schooling with ANY job. I think if you’re physically able to WFH - so not a nurse, supermarket worker - something ‘key’ then you should suck it up. Unpopular opinion but realistically no job is easy to do whilst home schooling.

The government disagreed though, doesn’t it?

*disagrees

Personally I’d keep them at home if I could, I imagine it’s not easy but it’s not easy for anyone right now for one reason or another but equally I wouldn’t worry myself with finding out who had taken places and the ins and outs of a monkeys arse.

I see the point about dealing with it. But I really cant see how it is appropriate to discuss rape etc within earshot of young children. It is unfair on the children, and the victims.

So is it just Scotland where you both have to be keyworkers to get childcare? (Assuming it's a 2 parent household?)

@CarryOnFestiveNamechanging

Dh is a solicitor.

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

What you mean is your DH is not.

I’m a solicitor - criminal.

I am attending court. People are still being arrested and committing offences you know....

@namechangereq

It’s basically inconvenient and difficult to WFH whilst home schooling with ANY job.

I think if you’re physically able to WFH - so not a nurse, supermarket worker - something ‘key’ then you should suck it up.

Unpopular opinion but realistically no job is easy to do whilst home schooling.

This.

How much experience have you had at being a lawyer??

@apalledandshocked

I see the point about dealing with it. But I really cant see how it is appropriate to discuss rape etc within earshot of young children. It is unfair on the children, and the victims.

Not all solicitors are doing sex crime work. There are many, many areas of law. The Law Soc list seems pretty balanced. Some solicitors may need a school place; many will be able to muddle through, facing the same challenges as other parents wfh.

So..... They deal with wills. That's when people die, yes? In case you hadn't noticed, a fair few people have passed away recently. Who do you think deals with things when that happens? 🙄

In a year when 80,000 extra people have died surely wills lawyers and those dealing with estate are very very key workers? Also those who bury the dead and do funerals too and funeral directors and embalmers are very key too.

The guidance includes justice system workers as key/critical.

all the solicitors i know, and i know a few, are working from home

@Plonque

Bore off. Seriously!

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

Ummm.... surely that makes the entire working population key workers then? That’s really not how it works 🙄

You are being massively unreasonable and I am currently working from home ft with 2 kids under 9.