Back at work after the Christmas break and who’s the first client to walk through your door? A disgruntled spouse seeking a divorce.
Yes, it’s time to shake off that holiday mood fast because this client is just the vanguard for a long line of equally unhappy married people in a rush to have their vows overturned.
For family lawyers dealing with the fall-out from the festive period, January is one of the busiest months of the year. Some marriages disintegrate spectacularly over the tinsel and turkey, others that have been limping along for a long time just quietly fall apart.
The result is there are a whole lot of people determined to make a new start and January is when they choose to push ahead with plans for a new future.
What that means is, if you’re a lawyer looking for your next move on s1jobs, there are a lot of busy practices keen to have your experience on board – and quickly.
Unpicking the complexities of lives that have been intertwined takes sound knowledge. You have to have the skills to detect where money and investments may be hidden by the other party.
You need the ability to seek the best possible deal not just for your client but also for any children of the marriage.
And you have to be able to do it while dealing with a workload of multiple cases, each with their own challenges.
But the trickiest part of the whole job is not the legal ins and outs, but dealing with the big emotions that come with separation and divorce.
Clients are seldom happy about the events that have led to this point in their lives. They can be angry, hurt, hell-bent on revenge and often tearful.
They don’t tell you about this at university, but one of the most vital tools in a family lawyer’s kit is a very large box of tissues.
It may seem like a downbeat way to start a new year but the job you are doing actually allows people to pick up those pieces and start again.
So don’t let yourself become depressed by tales of fights or infidelity and hearts that have been broken.
It’s your role to sort out the practical matters that will allow your clients to mend their hearts and enjoy a fresh start.
For a fresh career take a look at the latest Legal vacancies on s1jobs.