Member profile

Deanne’s story

Deanne Ferguson, is a Partner and Head of Private Client (South Coast) at McMillan Williams Solicitors (MW). Deanne is also a CILEx Council member. She qualiÿed as a Legal Executive at the age of 31, after the judge hearing her divorce case suggested that she look to the law as a new career. Here is her story: I began my journey along the Chartered Legal Executive career path as a result of a court hearing during my divorce proceedings. I was represented by a solicitor and my former husband was represented by a barrister, but at the hearing I felt the urge to say it how it really was. I stuck my hand up and asked to speak. The judge replied: ‘I don’t see why not; this is about you after all’ .

During my speech, I said that I needed time to retrain in a different career. The judge said: ‘May I suggest you consider law; I think you would be very good’ . And so I did!

I had thought about studying law before, when one of my teachers told me I’d be a good lawyer as I could always talk myself out of trouble, but my circumstances meant I’d never have been able to go to university, so never seriously considered it as an option.

When I did look into studying law, I had two young children, aged 10 and 8 and needed to work, so the traditional university route wasn’t an option. I stumbled upon information about Chartered Legal Executives on the internet and enrolled at a local college to do an evening class once a week.

I called the firm that was dealing with my conveyancing, Robert Simon & Co, and talked Robert Simon into giving me a job. He is a sole practitioner who specialises in private client work and conveyancing. I was chucked in at the deep end and my learning curve was steep.

I can’t pretend that being a single mum, studying and working part time was easy, especially when an exam was looming but it was manageable and I enjoyed learning about the law.

I became a Fellow in 2009 and I am now a Partner and Head of Private Client (South Coast) at MW.

I was the first Chartered Legal Executive to have been made a partner at MW and I am very proud of that. MW have always judged me on my experience and ability, with no prejudice between Chartered Legal Executives and solicitors. I think this is more and more the case with modern, progressive firms.

When I was offered a job at MW, the first thing I did was look on their website and count the number of male and female partners. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was roughly equal.

When thinking about your career, I think you have to decide what is important to you and what you are aiming for and not compromise on that. MW has been confirmed as the 1st ranked firm in the overall ranking for diversity in staff in the UK top 100. The places you work are what shape your career, and I would never again work for a firm with a glass ceiling for women or Chartered Legal Executives.

I work hard and am passionate about what I do and never forget that it is a two-way thing between you and your employers, so I give as much as I can and they reward me in return. I never thought I would have the opportunity to become a lawyer, and the CILEx route was the only way I could have achieved that.

Sydney’s story

Sydney Forster, 22, is Deanne’s daughter. She has followed her mother into the law. Currently working in-house at construction business, Rydon Group Limited, she is hoping to qualify within the next two years. Here’s her story:

I studied law as one of my A-level subjects but was never really sure what I wanted to do when I left college. I’m not sure whether mum was the reason for me choosing to study law but I think her achievements gave me the self-belief that I was capable of doing it.

I initially thought I would go to university to do a law degree and was offered a place at my first-choice university, but then had second thoughts.

Mum was supportive of my not taking my place at university, and we decided that although the CILEx route was going to be harder for me, it would probably suit my circumstances.

I didn’t want to get into debt and then find that I couldn’t even get a training contract and have to worry about my future again. The CILEx route gave me a much clearer career path and took away lots of uncertainty.

I applied to college and secured a position in the Legal Department of Rydon Group Limited. Rydon are a construction, development, maintenance and management company; they give me an afternoon off a week to study, pay my study fees and give me a lot of responsibility; I am vey fortunate.

I now study with CILEx Law School and have completed Level 3, got a distinction in my first Level 6 and have passed both Level 6 Professional Skills units.

I handle all plot sales from reservation to exchange and completion, and liaise regularly with internal and external stakeholders. I also assist senior solicitors with land transfers, including title investigations and reports together with bank compliance reports and the drafting of construction contracts. Working within an in-house legal team means I also get the opportunity to assist with employment law cases.

My CILEx units are based around my career at Rydon and enable me to expand my legal knowledge in these specialist areas. It can be hard to motivate myself sometimes as working, commuting and studying isn’t easy. I keep telling myself that it will pay off in the end and at least I know that I will have a job and a career in law at the end of it and whatever I earn will be my own, not paying off a loan.

It makes it a bit easier having mum around to test me before an exam, but I sell it to her on the basis that I am keeping her knowledge up to date!

I have made a point of not using mum to help me get a job as I want everything I achieve to be on my own merit but there is no doubt that what mum has achieved has given me the belief in myself and the knowledge that Chartered Legal Executives are now considered equal to solicitors in up-to-date , forwardthinking organisations.

It’s tough to find the right balance between work, study and a social life. Sometimes, when I’m really busy at work, the last thing I want to do in the evenings is more law.

As exams get closer, I have to sacrifice a few days’ holiday and my social life, which can be a real struggle. But it’s important to remain positive, and think about the benefits the CILEx route has to offer, which gets me through.

I am quite lucky to get one afternoon off a week to study at home and I also get a couple of study leave days before my exam. I try to do some reading and studying a couple of evenings a week after work and at weekends.

The law units I have chosen have strong links to my job, so I get good training and understanding of the law on a daily basis, which helps with the exams. The practical skills you get through on-the-job training are invaluable and enable you to advance much quicker than you would do if you went to university. Having five or six years of practical experience behind you when you qualify puts you in a very attractive position compared to students that have just left university.

I currently have no debts; although I appreciate I am lucky that my employer funds my studies. I would have been in the first year after university fees increased and studying law at university would probably have cost me around £50,000, plus the cost of doing the Legal Practice Course. I am able to earn a living and study and do not have to worry about hitting my maximum overdraft, as so many of my friends do.

When mum was studying, I was quite young and didn’t appreciate the task she was undertaking. Now I’m going through the process myself, I have more understanding of how diffcult it must have been for her to study and juggle being a single parent with two young children. In hindsight, I probably would have tried to be less demanding of her time! I do remember (reluctantly) helping her learn law cases off by heart, over and over again, together with important phrases and statutes in preparation for her exams. At the time it made absolutely no sense to me, but over the last few years there have been a few cases that I remember going over with her.

My sister Megan is a construction site Manager at Walter Lilly in London, and so I have built a bridge between my mum’s occupation and my sister’s occupation, so now it’s a real family affair.