Michael Robinson joined Ramsdens in November 2010 as a Litigation assistant. In just over three years he had assisted a number of fee earners including; Legal Executives, Solicitors and Partners in Litigation, Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence & Private Client and he also gained experience from running our fixed fee debt recovery scheme for undisputed debts.
Michael comments: "I commenced my training contract in January 2014, working in the Private Client Department. I have been interested in Wills, Trusts & Probate and was looking forward to developing my legal knowledge in this area, learning new skills and progressing my client care abilities.
Having had the experience of dealing with contentious areas of law for a number years, I felt that having to speak with distressed & saddened relatives in such a difficult time in their lives following the passing of a family member and in some circumstances the decisions made by the deceased in his/her Will was not upsetting, or, as difficult as first thought. Everyone goes through losing a relative at some point in their lives and being able to assist the family through that transitional period with minimal stress and disruption is what I aimed to do. To help to close the final chapter in someone’s life gives me a sense of accomplishment that the time consuming and complicated administration of an estate has been dealt with efficiently & effectively on behalf of the deceased and their family.
I was keen to develop my legal knowledge & put my client care skills to good work but importantly learn new skills and techniques. I am enjoying the tests of drafting Wills, Oaths and Powers of Attorney which is surprisingly rewarding. In dealing with probate work you do need to be of ‘accountant mind’ and attention to detail is critical in dealing with IHT forms and Estate accounts. The variety of work has provided me with a substantial base to grow my skills and legal knowledge.
Being able to have the opportunity to work with the Private Client team has been intuitive and incredibly valuable to my future career with Ramsdens. By taking on board their methods and case management with Wills, Trusts & Probate is invaluable experience.
In dealing with intestate probates (where an individual has died without leaving a Will) these require investigatory skills to identify what assets and liabilities the deceased had and clear communication and instructions with organisations and financial institutions is key to progress the matter efficiently. I learnt very quickly that utility companies were not the best organisations to communicate with, and that is putting it lightly in the eyes of my colleagues.
I enjoy my coffee and have a particular taste for cafetiere coffee and Mary & Thelma do like to keep the team going with biscuits, which I can never resist! Some members of the Halifax office do like to push the healthier option with fruit appearing at coffee and cake mornings for charity and lectures on what I should not be eating. I won’t name any names “Anne”, ooops I have. The team at Halifax are fantastic and I always get involved with the firm’s charity days and events and encourage others to join in, which some are a bit wary of due to my social media ties and their knowledge that if they are in a picture it usually ends up on my Ramsdens’ twitter page @MichaelRamsdens or through Sinead on our website #RamsdensCSR.
My first eight months have been enjoyable, testing and rewarding and I continue to thoroughly enjoy the challenging variety of work and being able to test my knowledge on a daily basis and improve my skills and technique.
What's the best thing about being at Ramsdens - I am proud to be part of a strong leading legal firm; working alongside such knowledgeable colleagues from whom I can learn so much, makes working for Ramsdens incredibly worthwhile."