I'll be honest – when I was an usher in a magistrates' court 25 years ago, I thought magistrates were all rich and retired. Fast forward to today, and here I am: a mum of 17-year-old triplet girls, a sales manager and part-time travel agent… and a magistrate sitting in family court.
When I saw a post about becoming a magistrate on Facebook 18 months ago, something clicked. I've always liked keeping busy – I've worked my way up from airline crew to managing a nationwide sales team, got my travel agent licence during lockdown, and even completed a business degree through an apprenticeship whilst raising three daughters. When the triplets were just nine months old, I was back at work, dropping them at school, visiting clients, then picking them up, feeding and bathing them before heading back to work in the evenings. Organisation became my superpower.
My full-time job is high-pressure sales – so sitting in court gives me something completely different to focus on. It's a chance to give back rather than sell, and honestly, it's a welcome break from my day job. My employer supports me with 18 days paid leave, and the flexibility means I can fit court around my life. A typical court day means reading through my papers the night before whilst dinner is in the oven. Some weeks I'll take an extra sitting in court during half-term too when I've got the day off anyway.
What I love most is meeting other magistrates and the reality check it gives me. Growing up in East London myself, I saw families struggling, so I bring that perspective to the bench. Yes, some family court cases are tough to process when I get home, but they make me appreciate how lucky my girls are. As a family magistrate, we’re making decisions that can have a significant impact on a child’s life and a family’s future – this is not taken lightly and I have the support of two other magistrates sitting in court, along with a legal adviser. You don’t need legal qualifications to become a magistrate, you get all the training you need.
Not everyone has the luxury of having paid leave to volunteer but you can plan out days you can volunteer months in advance. This works for me as I have so many things to juggle and having the chance to help in the community gives me a break if anything.
My daughters watch me hustling and it's made them ambitious too. I'm paving the way for my future – you can sit as a magistrate until you're 75, and the flexibility means it works around what life throws at you. There's always time to fit something in.
This International Volunteer Day, find out more about being a magistrate and apply here: Magistrates Recruitment - Volunteer as a magistrate.