An Interview with Kate Darby

Kate explains what it means to be a Professional Support Lawyer within the firm and shares insights on how she contributes towards the success of the firm’s residential property team, by staying ahead of key developments in the world of residential property. 

Pardeep: Firstly, well done for recently reaching 30 years’ PQE as a solicitor – that’s a huge milestone. Could you walk us through your route into law (if you still remember that is!) 

Kate: Thank you (I think!) I came to law in a slightly roundabout way in that I studied Economics at university, having chosen a subject I enjoyed at ‘A’ level.  Halfway through my degree I started to realise that you can study too many graphs and began to think about what I might like to do after university.  I researched law and thought that the analytical and creative problem-solving, combined with a bit of strategic thinking, might better suit my skill set. Two years at the College of Law in Guildford followed before training at a medium sized firm in Oxford.

Pardeep: How does residential property work in 2025 compare to what it was like when you first started working in this area? 

Kate: I had my first exposure to residential property work during my articles (the ancient version of a training contract!) in 1994. Ironically, despite having no email/internet/portals etc., it was all relatively quick and painless.  In terms of the difference in the work, there were far more unregistered titles to deal with and lots of endowment mortgages with associated life insurance policies to re-assign.  On the other hand, AML was unheard of, SDLT was a much simpler “stamp duty” and lenders hadn’t started to worry about issues such as onerous ground rents or estate rentcharges so deeds of variation were uncommon.  In terms of interaction, we would always meet clients face-to-face and personal completions still took place.

Pardeep: You were the first PSL to join the firm having not had a client-facing role within the firm first. Could you explain what attracted you to the role of a PSL and step away from client-facing work? 

Kate: I moved from a client-facing role to a PSL role at my last firm having decided that I enjoyed the black letter law and the technical challenges of dealing with complex situations more than the day-to-day transactional work.  I also needed time and space to develop as a lawyer. I am an advocate for continuing to learn no matter how qualified you may think you are.  When I deliver training to the team, I always try and impress on them the importance of learning, willingly and humbly while being confident, happy and secure in the knowledge they have.

Pardeep: What does your role as a PSL in the residential property team look like on a day-to-day basis?

Kate: It is incredibly varied!  I suspect my role differs from other PSL roles in that I still get fairly “hands on” with matters, which suits me well. This enables me to assist team members with live issues they come across, and we can discuss options for moving forwards.  They will understand the client/transactional dynamics, and I can apply some technical analysis, having the space to conduct additional research if required.  I also keep abreast of relevant developments in law and practice, draft bespoke documents and precedents as well as develop and deliver training.

Pardeep: In your view, how does your work support the client-facing lawyers within the firm? 

Kate: As you know, a residential conveyancer acts as the central hub of communication and coordination during a transaction. They spend much of their day liaising with clients and third parties – the other conveyancer, mortgage lender, mortgage broker, estate agent, search providers, Land Registry, HMRC, surveyors, managing agents etc. – to ensure that the legal transfer of ownership is smooth, compliant and the client’s interests are protected. This does not leave much time to drill down into the nitty gritty of complex issues.  I do not have to deal with all these conflicting pulls on my working day and can offer a fresh pair of eyes from an experienced perspective. On a more general level, I hope that the ad hoc and structured sharing of knowledge keeps the team up-to-date and better equipped to handle their caseloads.

Pardeep: Do you have any tips when keeping up to date with new legislation, legal updates, knowledge sharing and updating policies and precedents?

Kate: If your firm subscribes to a legal knowledge platform such as Practical Law or LexisNexis then I would urge practitioners to make full use of it.  They offer regular updates which can be tailored to your practice area(s) and I make it a priority to read these and share relevant updates with the team.  Apart from that, LinkedIn is a useful space to pick up the general ‘mood’ and see what other lawyers are doing to meet the challenges that conveyancing throws at us.  It is rare that more than a few hours will pass after a judgment or enactment without some sort of commentary being posted.  You can then undertake further focussed research as required.  It all comes back to being open to learning, no matter where you are in your career.

Pardeep: If there was one thing you could change in residential property, what would that be and why?

Kate: One would never be enough!  But if pushed, I think a lot of good could come from a simplified and standardised set of lenders’ instructions.  The Lenders’ Handbook sounds much more useful than it is.  The reality is a stream of woolly and disparate, often nonsensical, prose which can leave the conveyancer less certain of a lender’s position than before they checked it.  I often wonder if the Part 2 instructions have been written by anyone who has attempted to handle a conveyancing transaction.  And before you know it, the instructions have changed.  Bin off Part 2s and stick to a uniformly agreed set of instructions.  “We rely on your professional judgment” may sound rather flattering, but it never fails to make my heart sink.

Pardeep: What’s your top tip for someone that wants to get into a professional support role?

Kate: Think about what you have to offer.  Are you the “go to” person in any particular area?  If your judgment is trusted by those around you, then it’s a good place to start.  Be honest with yourself about areas you struggle with – we all have them – and think about how you might overcome that or, if you really can’t, carve them out of your role.  Above all, be approachable and understanding.  You are there to support others and you cannot do that if you scare the living daylights out of them!