Monika Volsing graduated from Leeds Beckett in 2009, having studied both the GDL & LPC. She now works as the Head of the Private Client team at Winston Solicitors, based in Leeds. In this blog, she talks us through her role and looks back on her time at Leeds Law School.

Courses: Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course

Tell us a bit about yourself, what course you studied at Leeds Beckett and what you've been doing since you graduated?

My career in law started out a little bit differently! I originally did a degree in Psychology and  worked in marketing for seven years before deciding to retrain in law; I undertook the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course at Leeds Law School, Leeds Beckett University, completing my studies in 2009.

Following my graduation, I worked at Morrish Solicitors for 10 years where I undertook my training contract in the areas of personal injury, employment and private client law before qualifying as a private client solicitor. I then spent two years at Stonegate Legal specialising in probate and the Court of Protection. I am now the head of the private client team at Winston Solicitors based in Leeds, where I have worked for nearly three years.

Tell us a bit more about your career and what your current job involves?

As head of the private client department, I am responsible for leading a small but dedicated team working on estates, trusts, wills, deputyships and powers of attorney. This means dealing with various clients and sensitive situations, which makes for a challenging but rewarding role.

In probate, we can be working with a small estate that is relatively straightforward where the deceased had a valid will, but the family want our support in their time of need. Or, we may have a large estate where the deceased died without a will, where we must find their long-lost family and there are complex assets to contend with. In will writing, our client may want a short, simple will, or something more in-depth including a trust or multiple legacies. As well as drafting the will, we must provide appropriate accompanying advice. 

Then there are the legal and moral challenges of applying for powers of attorney and deputyships, which require us to tread carefully between what our client needs, what their loved ones need, and what the Mental Capacity Act says. This is just the tip of the iceberg- like I said, it’s varied!

What have been your career highlights so far? And biggest challenges?

My proudest moment since becoming a solicitor was being given the chance to make a submission for my client in the High Court – the judge granted me temporary rights of audience! Our application to pay funds in an undistributed estate to another charity (because the one named in the will no longer existed) was successful. 

More recently, a big career highlight was successfully applying for several health and welfare deputyships, which the Court of Protection does not often grant. This came at the end of a long fight for the families- the relief and reassurance this brought them was so rewarding.

My biggest challenge in dealing with all my work is (and always has been!) the bureaucracy of large institutions – it is a source of constant frustration for my clients (and me!). But that’s where my small team can show how dynamic they can be and get answers or results weeks or months before they are expected.

How has your experience studying at Leeds Beckett influenced you and your career?

My experience as a law student at Leeds Beckett got me interested in wills and trusts to begin with and helped me start to understand tax law in more depth. This sparked an interest and I knew that wills, trusts and probates were an area I could succeed in. 

What advice would you give to anyone considering studying at Leeds Law School?

My advice would be to just go for it! Leeds Beckett is truly an open and inclusive environment, so make the most of it. You are well supported. It’s modern and there is lots of scope for gaining work experience and mentoring too, which is vital for your future career in law (studying isn’t everything- the practical opportunities help so much too!)

What’s next for you?

I am driven by the success of my team, so being able to lead and support them as much as I can so that they can achieve more in the private client field is really important to me. This, and making wills, trusts and probates more accessible to everyone by ditching old-school jargon and attitudes.