CTT’s first in-house trainee solicitor qualifies!

Here at CTT, we pride ourselves on our supportive approach to colleague training and development. We’re also lucky that CTT attracts some serious talent! That’s why we’re delighted to announce our first in-house trainee solicitor, Bhavesh Sahjpall, has recently qualified as a solicitor of the Senior Courts.

Early aspirations

Bhav decided to become a solicitor while still in primary school. After watching an episode of the popular police drama, The Bill, he was inspired – not by the police officers who impressed his schoolmates, but by the duty solicitor, whom he admired for his “interesting” job.

Since then, Bhav has set his sights on qualifying. He’s paved a career path that’s taken him through GCSE Latin, A-Level Law, an undergraduate and post-graduate LPC before joining CTT in 2020 as a Conveyancing Administrator.

“I’m really grateful to Countrywide. We’re not your traditional law firm,” Bhav shares. “We do things a bit differently and we’re really specialised in what we do. It’s a great place to learn and a unique place to qualify.”

In-house trainee

Bhav soon progressed to Conveyancing Team leader before accepting his training contract to become a solicitor. Last year, he took on the role of Estate Planning Team Leader, and in January this year, Bhav achieved his goal of becoming a fully-fledged solicitor of the Senior Courts.

“It was quite a big day when I finally got over the line!” he laughs. “It was a nice moment to share with everyone when my certificate came through. This is definitely my proudest achievement to date.”

Bhav’s hard work and determination make him an asset to CTT, and his dedication has certainly paid off in realising his childhood dream. But he says he couldn’t have done it without the support of his team.

“Kamran Saqib is one of CTT’s in-house solicitors and my supervising solicitor. He was pivotal in securing the training contract,” Bhav reveals. “He gave me great exposure to different aspects of things that you wouldn’t get exposure to in a high street practice. He’s helped me manage my time and supported me with weekly meetings. CTT as a whole has been really supportive.”

In-house solicitor

Currently, Bhav is a non-practising in-house solicitor, focussing his expertise as Head of the Estate Planning Team within Countrywide Tax and Trust Corporation.

“When I first started looking at the law, my heart was always in contract and commercial law. Private client wasn’t something I’d considered or looked at until I came to CTT. But I’ve found out it’s a really interesting sector,” he shares.

“Right now, I’m focused in on the Private Client side of the law, mainly wills, trusts, inheritance, and tax planning. There’s a defined benefit to the clients and trustees in the work we do, and it’s about conveying that message. Often, we’re engaged with people who don’t quite understand the roles of a trustee, so helping them out is a really rewarding process.”

Looking ahead with CTT

Although Bhav is relieved his studies are complete for the time being, he’s already looking to the future with CTT.

“I’m keen to see how my role here develops,” he says. “CTT offers numerous training courses. There might be scope for me to become practising or I might stay non-practising. We’ve got a lot of things coming down the line, some really exciting changes and new introductions. I won’t spoil what they are, but the business is developing so fast, every day is different!”

His advice for aspiring and trainee solicitors? “Keep your mind open to different options and keep sticking at it. The first few applications might not be successful. The first 100 applications might not be successful, so just keep persevering.”

If you have any questions for Bhav or the Estate Planning team, please get in touch.