What is a typical work day like for you?

First I have to say that there is no single type of work day.  Sometimes I will be in Court, and sometimes I will be in the office.  Other times, I will be traveling to one or more Courthouses or other locations either to file papers, pick things up, have meetings, attend various kinds of events like appraisals, sheriff’s sales, etc.   

But, here are some things I can relate about those different kinds of days:  On a day during which I will be in Court the whole time, I get up pretty early, dress relatively formally, go to the office to pick up my file and other materials, drive to the Courthouse and pull out the file while I’m still in my car.  Usually, I’ll work in the car for an hour or so before going into the Courthouse, because the car is a comfortable and quiet place, and this gives me a chance to reflect on the upcoming case and review my final notes again.  Then, I will try to go into to Courtroom and put my file on the counsel tables if they are available, go out and meet with my client, and maybe have a discussion with the opposing counsel.  After that, I will usually go into the Courtroom again and work on the case.  If the case takes all day, I will feel pretty drained and tired and will probably go straight home.

On days when we have a number of appointments on the book, I will typically go in to the office a little bit later.  I won’t be dressed as formally.  I will meet with different people to discuss their situations.  Some appointments are for new clients, and those involve getting to know each other and getting some basic information together about what the client wants me to handle.  Some appointments are just for simple question and answer situations.  Some appointments are for ongoing work where I will be discussing the status of a client’s legal case and how she or he would want to move it along, etc.  Also during office days, I set time aside to work on ongoing projects like written arguments, correspondence, etc.

Then, there are those other relatively “typical” days, like this one:  First thing in the morning I may head to one county to file real estate deeds; then, I may head to another county to file probate paperwork; after that, I may travel to another county to file a new estate, pick up a Court Order, file a lawsuit response, or do something else.  Sometimes I will travel for part of the day and then come back to the office to meet with clients or work on paperwork for the rest of the day. 

One thing is for sure in our small town general practice:  We do a lot of reading, talking, writing, and driving!