I know everyone is saying it, but 2021 certainly was an intense year!
Having said that, we were very fortunate at Spectrum Lawyers to continue working throughout the multiple lockdowns of 2021. In fact, the business actually saw growth, but was it business as usual? Absolutely not.
Like many young families we juggled working full time with the joys of having three children remote learning. Although most days I missed working in the office, I felt so sorry for my children who missed out on the important parts of growing up. Spending time with their friends, to play sports and even participate in social activities – all important parts of being a kid. Especially my youngest who started Prep and my second child starting Year 7 at a new school.
From a business perspective, we have gone from strength to strength. We have welcomed two new lawyers, Maria and Hannah to our team, and it has been wonderful watching our team grow. Over the past 18 months staying connected has never been more important, so it’s been great having colleagues to work with and share the trials and tribulations of our construction industry. We also moved into our new office space which we share with Spectrum Coach. And whilst it was a challenge to relocate (and furnish) a new office during a pandemic, we are thrilled to be in our own space, and we look forward to welcoming many more clients into our office in 2022.
There is also further growth on the cards for us here at Spectrum Lawyers in 2022. We will be launching two new practice areas – CONVEYANCING and PROBATE. Whilst these two practice areas are new for Spectrum Lawyers, they are complimentary to the services we offer our clients, as currently we prepare Wills and Powers of Attorney, and can store our client’s Wills in our Deeds, and now we will be offering the legal service of probate in the unfortunate event of a client’s passing. Similarly, often client’s construct their homes and we assist with reviewing their contracts, so now when client wish to sell their homes we can assist in the conveyancing process. We will also be able to provide a service to our building clients who may have their own clients purchasing a house and land package and their clients may need a conveyancer so we can provide that service from 2022. We are excited to provide this more wholistic range of services and we cannot wait to be able to share more about this with you early next year.
To our clients in the construction industry, you (like many other industries) have had a very tough year. You have endured lockdowns and a rollercoaster ride of restrictions which meant you needed to find new ways to trade and service clients. You have also seen price increases in materials and labour, as well as shortages in the supply of both materials and labour – probably more than ever before. So, with all these things thrown at you, you should be proud that you have pulled through and a lot of you have actually seen growth. To our clients that are now going through litigation in VCAT, we know it has been difficult given the extensive delays and your patience is extremely appreciated – with cases already being listed for 2023, it definitely makes it extremely difficult to manage cashflow and project pipelines. Hang in there and know that we are here to support you.
To all our clients and colleagues, we congratulate you for getting through 2021. It was no small feat! We wish you all the best for the festive season and hope you enjoy a well-deserved break. At Spectrum Lawyers, we are taking an extended closure break so that we can recharge and reset for the New Year. We look forward to working with you all in 2022!