It was ok - Legal Assistant Talbots Law Employee Review

- Easy to get a job there - Associates get parking included (not solicitors or other juniors) - Waterfront office is quite nice inside - Hours are not long

I think it says it all when there is a very high turnover of staff in the corporate and commercial department. Several former employees have been on stress leave (which is talked about openly in the office) and are openly called names as the butt of jokes in poor humour. Everyone currently there is either waiting for retirement, hanging on as they can't leave or looking for another job. - Bullying culture: department is known for the poor treatment of team members. Some quotes from other departments "X is known for being a bully, nobody lasts more than 6-9 months"… "he was awful to X too when they worked here". - Really low quality work, high volume and embarrassingly low quotes. You're pushed to produce work as quickly as possible and "skim read" documents. Incredibly questionable. - No precedents, guidance and the PA has very clear favourites- to the extent juniors have to do much more admin. Lack of clarity means there are changing goalposts for some if they don't like you. - Unmanageable and ineffective BD targets. You're expected to attend one BD event per week- entirely on you to organise, limited budget and the favourites are taken along to the better events. Very aimless and a waste of time. Most BD events are totally irrelevant. - Poor and very outdated compliance policies, data management system and frameworks. Feels very risky. - They will ask for input to help improve the team, but will push back on any and all ideas. If you do make any suggestions, they'll take it as an attack on the team. - Type of team where when you leave the room, certain characters will complain about you openly in the office. I've seen this done to others. It's a very uncomfortable environment. - PA acts as a informant to the head of the department. Tracking what you do, what you say and relays everything. Everyone in the team knows this but has to act nice or they'll be the next target.

Good place to start or build a career in conveyancing. The firm takes on people with little or no experience, which is useful if you want exposure and progression. Systems are well set up and fairly easy to use, with plenty of precedents available to help with files. Colleagues are mostly friendly and approachable, and there’s an offshore team to help with admin tasks. There’s a bonus scheme that’s shared across the business, so everyone contributing to the firm benefits.

Workload can be really high, especially with complex files, and it can be hard to keep on top of everything. Targets often feel unrealistic, particularly during busy periods, and it’s easy to fall behind on emails and correspondence. Pay feels low for the amount of work and complexity handled. Support is limited – there’s not much technical guidance, and you’re expected to manage heavy caseloads while also helping train new staff, often without enough time to do it properly. Panel work can be stressful, with estate agents expecting quick updates even when it’s not realistic. Micromanagement is common, and some team members appear to get preferential treatment, which can feel unfair. There’s limited flexibility for holidays or working from home, and lack of cover can mean catching up after time off is stressful. Team communication can be inconsistent, with changes sometimes coming at short notice and management approaches varying across teams. Overall, in my opinion the role is suited to individuals comfortable working in a high-volume, target-driven environment. Those seeking a more balanced workload, structured support, and fair treatment may find it challenging.