solicitors and barristers how is business?

[andhessixfeetten]

I thought work would drop off a cliff two weeks ago (business lawyer) but thankfully so far it hasn't happened.

There are some pretty dramatic chances going on for the clients, some good and some bad, but so far their need for me seems steady.

How are others finding it?

DH is dispute resolution/ commercial litigation solicitor at top tier firm. I was worried about his job when this all started but business seems to be booming. Lots of coronavirus related contractual disputes I gather.

Extremely busy in employment law

I'm in a field like employment where you can switch from commercial to litigation. Hopefully that will help.

I suppose all the insolvency experts will be coming out of their nooks into the middle of their webs... oh well, someone's got to do it

There's an increase in demand for wills too.

Typical recessionary profile litigation?? What about corporate?

Barrister here and I’m still busy. Which is rather stressful wfh with two kids. But better than the alternative I suppose.

Litigation again.
Property is very slow?

Landlord and tenant - still busy despite the 3 month stay on possession claims. First couple of weeks was barely keeping up but steady now.

In house lawyer in finance. Busy. There is a lot of pressure not to enforce but it’s a balancing act. So restructurings/waivers Etc. Also trying to keep momentum on new business too 👀 which is weird. Makes a change from brexit 🤨

Construction. Much busier than I'd expected as a lot of projects were put on hold. Loads of advice on contract terms and variations and litigation looking likely.

Professional Regulatory law. Reasonably quiet as many regulators have downed tools especially healthcare ones so that the focus isn’t taken away from the crisis, but others still going strong.

Legal exec running a willwriting business. Never been so busy, March and April instructions almost 3 times as many as a normal year.

Turning round dozens of frontline NHS workers wills within 24 hours.

At my (big international) firm in the U.K. construction and employment have been crazy busy since lockdown, as you might expect. Corporate is starting to soften a bit as people put deals on hold. Litigation is stable. Property has been busy with people wanting to defer quarter payments etc but is expecting a downturn.

Pretty positive!

I’m a conveyancer and 2/3 of the team have been furloughed. The rest of the business is busier than normal.

Clin neg at a regional firm. Same as usual but struggling with medical experts, who've all been called back into clinical practice, and the Courts. Bumping a lot of Court deadlines.
Our property team is dead.
Wills and probate and Employment booming.

That makes sense. I’m trying to pass work to our paralegal who specialises in property law but what I do is just sooooo different it’s hard for her – especially working from home............

I am extremely busy - advocate in an offshore jurisdiction

Mumblechump0 could I ask how you are dealing with the signature requirements?

I need to make a new will because this scenario has highlighted a massive issue with my current one. I haven’t even contacted my Solicitor because I don’t want to have to travel to her office (large city) to sign.

Criminal barrister. All trials gone, limited hearings over video or phone link.

Private client solicitor, extremely busy and today had first death from cv-19. Small solicitor's firm. Furloughed 3 support staff, rest on 80% except me.

My solicitor friend who specialises in defamation has been furloughed.

I guess defamation counts as “non-essential”?

@inmylife, signing is a problem, the 1837 Wills Act rules still have to be observed. I'm advising clients to ask neighbours to witness them at a distance, whether that's through a window, then passing the docs through the letter box, or watching over the garden fence, then coming round to witness while the testator stands well back. Obviously they can't share pens and must sanitise their hands immediately then wash them.

My practice has always been set up for remote working, taking instructions from all over England and Wales, and the rest of world for expats, by Zoom etc so I'm not finding it that much more difficult, it's just the volume of new instructions which is a little overwhelming!

Clin neg and pi barrister. Court work - being stood down at last minute because of lack of judges. Busy paperwork side because lots of people wanting to settle.

Bar Council survey is depressing. 75 % of criminal head of chambers think they will go under in 3 months (if things continue as they are). 81% of all chambers within a year.

I also sit as a fee paid judge. There’s no work, but they won’t furlough us. It’s really appalling.