Senior Associate Chartered Legal Executive career in family law

We are pleased to share blogs written by our staff, talking about their job role, working at the firm and career progression at Crombie Wilkinson Solicitors. 

In this blog by Juliette Kilkenny, she talks about her journey in our family law team as a career and her role. 

Thank you to Juliette for sharing your career journey so far at Crombie Wilkinson Solicitors. 

In her own words, Juliette said: 

“I started at Crombie Wilkinson in 2005 (yes that means I’ve just celebrated my 20 year anniversary!) with no Family Law experience at all.  My entry into the legal world was not entirely traditional as I undertook a Social Policy and Criminology degree at university, rather than a Law degree, and then embarked on the ILEX (as it was known then – The Institute of Legal Executives) qualification to become a Legal Executive. This felt like the right fit for me at the time as I knew I could study for the qualification alongside working in a law firm. The ILEX qualification would enable me to gain a basic understanding of the different areas of the law and help me to decide which area I wished to develop a career in. In my teenage years I had done some work experience in criminal law by volunteering at the local police station to learn about and operate the CCTV cameras across the town centre, I spent time in my local Magistrates court in the public gallery observing cases and court procedures and of course studied Criminology, so these experiences, coupled with my inquisitive nature certainly added to the appeal of criminal law. However, during my ILEX studies it was the Family Law modules which peaked my interest the most. I knew from this point that it was Family Law I wanted to pursue a career in and felt that my qualities of being sympathetic, a good listener, calm natured and very family focused would stand me in good stead. 

After finishing university however I had taken the job of an Assistant in a medium sized firm dealing with Personal Injury and Small Claims matters. I knew this was not going to be a long-term career choice for me, but it allowed me to get a foot on the ladder in the legal world and develop some basic skills required if I wanted to progress, such as corresponding with clients, understanding general legal processes and experiencing case management systems. I started the ILEX course whilst in this first employment. After 2 years in this role and having decided Family Law was the one for me, by chance I saw an advert for a Paralegal position in the Family Law department at Crombie Wilkinson Solicitors. I was given a chance by the Head of the Family Department at that time, who I worked directly for and who became my mentor and a friend. I started off by observing client meetings, attending court with Counsel to assist and take notes, drafting letters to clients and Witness Statements. I continued my studies in my spare time which admittedly was becoming more and more difficult and was tough going when studying the modules that were perhaps more complex and didn’t quite capture my interest like Family Law did.  I am pretty self-motivated though and could see the end in sight. I made it to the end and qualified in 2011. Crombie Wilkinson supported me through my CILEX (as it became known in 2012 – The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives) studies, both financially and allowing me the time off work to prepare for exams and to take the exams themselves. 

Since starting at Crombie Wilkinson way back in 2005 I have progressed through the ranks from a Paralegal who knew nothing about Family Law, to qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive, becoming an Associate and more recently a Senior Associate in 2022 and a POD Leader, supervising and guiding less experienced colleagues.  I have built up my own case load over time, developed my communication skills with clients and other professionals, improved my drafting skills by starting with simple straightforward correspondence to more complex applications and statements and I have undertaken advocacy work on behalf of clients to represent them at court hearings.  

I work with other organisations such as IDAS and KYRA who support vulnerable people and victims of domestic abuse and I assist them and guide them through what is very often the most challenging period of their lives, either as a result of a relationship or marriage breakup, navigating arrangements for children about where and with who they live and spend time with, as well as obtaining protection (often urgent) for those fearing for their safety. The work I undertake gives me a great sense of pride knowing the advice I give or the guidance I provide can make a real difference to someone’s life and being able to encourage them or enable them to move on from a very scary and challenging period. 

Crombie Wilkinson introduced their Career Development Programme in 2019 which sets out a pathway to progress in your career, representing professional growth and leadership, rewarding excellence and commitment to the firm. I’ve been able to utilise the programme, first in 2020 when I successfully applied for promotion to an Associate and again in 2022 when I applied to become a Senior Associate. I recently celebrated 20 years of employment at Crombie Wilkinson Solicitors, so I’ve seen a lot of change and growth and met many people who are not only colleagues, but now very good friends. I hope to continue progressing my career through the programme and seeing the benefit of the opportunities it brings with it. "