What the pandemic has brought into sharp focus for firms is a desire to reduce costs. In 2019, research found cost reductions were last on a long list of priorities for firms; now they are near the top.

As my legal career progressed, I began to realise the reality was very different than I had envisaged. I was in a constant state of stress, working very long hours. I normalised the stress, as it seemed to be everywhere I looked.

Virtual supervision is important, but it is very important that that supervision doesn’t become virtual, and not fit for purpose. So how do we guard against that?

There are always problem files, difficult clients and issues that consume us with fear and worry. However, the more we procrastinate, the more ghoulish and horrifying the task grows.

It is 48 hours I’ll never forget. I’d spent the weekend completing a major new deal for my firm when I turned on the TV news on 23 March 2020.