Cheryl Styles
As a Legal Executive working in the legal services sector, Cheryl has 15 years’ experience in all elements of private client work, using her compassionate and empathic nature to specialise in Court of Protection matters to assist those who lack the capacity to manage financial affairs for themselves.
- Tell us a little bit about your business…
I work as a Legal Executive for Waldrons Solicitors, who provide legal services and advice across the West Midlands, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire areas, a practice that has been established since 1867. In particular, I work within the Probate and Wills Department, covering Wills, Statutory Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, registering Enduring Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection Deputyship and Probate matters. I give legal advice and assistance to clients within these areas.
2. How did you get into the industry?
This was a completely new path for me, as I had previously worked for a well-known West Midlands football team. My Brother–in-law, worked at a solicitors practice in Birmingham City Centre and advised me of a Caseworker position that was being advertised within the Private Client Department to manage Deputy and Attorneyship matters and making applications to the Court of Protection. I wanted to develop professionally and believed my transferable skills would assist me in the role, I interviewed and was successful.
Once in post, I found that I loved the complexity and variety of the work, no two days are ever the same. I felt I was being positively challenged with new situations and types of work all of the time, which helped me develop my technical abilities. It was at this point I had made the decision that I wanted a long term career in law and with the backing of the management team, I started the journey to study and qualify through the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX).
3. What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in your industry?
I have been very fortunate in having progressive employers and mentors along the way, granting me opportunities in my career and educational development, supporting me when I have been managing working, a young family and studying for my CILEX qualifications. I wondered at times what I had got myself into but with the confidence from the people around me, I persevered and it came to fruition.
As with any line of business, there are always challenges, or ‘learning opportunities’. Law is ever changing and evolving so it is important for a practitioner to continue to learn and grow to give the best advice and assistance to clients, it definitely helps if you can rise to the test and ‘get stuck in!’. In my particular area of law, as my fellow colleagues would probably agree, it’s been particularly perplexing over recent years, we have seen increased workloads as Probate and Court of Protection cases have grown in numbers. Delays at HMRC, The Probate Registry and Court of Protection have been frustrating for clients and practitioners alike, however, we learn to adapt to these situations so we can continue to effectively provide the expert service our clients are due, handling their matters empathically whilst they go through distressing times of dealing with a death of a loved one or navigating the processes when someone close to them is losing capacity and cannot support themselves.
4. How would you describe your working style?
It is important to balance the needs of the client with those of the firm you are working for. I found that being clear and managing expectations from the outset helps everyone involved know what outcome to expect and the timeframes in which to expect results. It helps to be extremely organised, to keep everything on track.
I would say I am very much a people person with a down to earth approach. It can be a daunting experience for a client to visit a legal advisor, especially when going through stressful periods in their lives, being able to listen to them and their situation is key in gaining their confidence in that I can be someone who can give them advice in a clear and understanding manner, assisting them through the complex nature of Probate and Court of Protection to hopefully lessen the burden they can be feeling.
Along the way, I have worked with incredible secretaries and support staff, they are often the bedrock of the firm and have so much experience to learn from, and without them it would be incredibly difficult to achieve the outcomes for the clients and company, it is essential that there is a team approach, so supporting staff to support you is crucial.
5. How do you get the most out of the people who work for you?
Support each other, we are all working together to achieve the same goal. We can all place such high expectations on ourselves so knowing there are people who work around you that care and want to see you achieve helps you be part of the team and see what mantle you take up within that group, this then inspires us to keep up the good work!
I have always used the mantra “I never ask anyone to do anything for me that I wouldn’t do myself” often chipping in with the housekeeping tasks of the team.
6. What are the most crucial elements to a business running smoothly and being successful?
Having a clearly defined business plan or planned outcome that everyone is aware of, ensures that staff feel involved in the process and can take ownership of where they fit into that plan. In my area of work it is crucial that we are client focused and their satisfaction in that service is delivered.
It certainly also helps to be passionate about the work we are doing, this always inspires us to produce our best efforts for the clients.
7. How has the past 12 months been for you?
The past 12 months has not only been challenging for me but for most working within Private Client work. It has been extremely busy and with delays at HMRC, The Probate Registry and Court of Protection, this has only led to further time being taken to ‘wrap up’ matters. This has been frustrating for legal practitioners and their clients alike as we try to navigate their expectations whilst dealing with lengthy timeframes presented to us.
However, there have been improvements within the systems which has seen some progress on turnaround times, so hopefully this continues.
8. What will the next 12 months look like for your business?
Hopefully continued growth with the practical systems in place at HMRC, The Probate Registry and Court of Protection to meet the demand.
I would like to see the development of Court of Protection work within the firm, to utilise my expertise in this area. This is a specialist area and there is not much awareness in the wider community regarding Court of Protection, this can be tricky for the lay person to understand what is required of them in respect of applications to the Court and also what duties are imposed on them as Court appointed Deputies.
9. What are the highlights of your career so far?
Most definitely the people I have met along the way. There is just so much to learn from others and I have had some brilliant mentors and made some great friends.
Achieving my CILEX qualifications has been a great achievement, there have been times when I wondered why I had taken the extra burden on and if I would ever see an end in sight. However, I believe having that sense of purpose has always been the push I needed to continue learning, evolving and achieving.
- What’s the biggest business mistake that you’ve learnt from?
I have definitely been guilty of being a ‘people pleaser’ and potentially taking on work that I did not have the capacity for, which of course only leads to ineffectiveness, frustration and burnout! I have since learned to maintain a work life balance, setting clear time frames and managing expectations is crucial.
- What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?
Get stuck in and give it a go, you never know what you may learn and achieve! I am a practical and ‘hands on’ learner, so this has definitely helped me develop my technical skills and my approach to embracing new situations. And definitely take time to enjoy the journey!
