Trailblazer Sarah-Jane Legge from Ashtons Legal qualifies as a solicitor

Ashtons Legal is delighted to announce the qualification of Sarah-Jane Legge as a solicitor following her six-year apprenticeship with the firm.

Ashtons became amongst the first firms nationally to adopt the Six-Year Solicitors Apprenticeship (originally known as Trailblazer Apprenticeships), with Sarah-Jane joining the scheme in September 2016. Apprenticeships form a core part of Ashtons’ approach to ‘growing their own’ team members and the firm currently has 12 staff training to become solicitors – nine through the traditional training contract route and three who are part-way through their own solicitor apprenticeships.

Sarah-Jane joined Ashtons Legal in 2014 as a legal assistant and became an apprentice solicitor in 2016. During her apprentice training, Sarah-Jane received first-class honours in her law degree and was in the top 20% of the UK pass rates for her SQE1 and two exams.

During her six years of training, Sarah-Jane has gained legal experience in French legal services, family law, lifetime planning and dispute resolution.

Now qualified, Sarah-Jane is a pivotal member of Ashtons’ niche French legal team who assist clients looking to buy or sell properties in France. The team have long-standing relationships with Notaires and estate agents in France and has in-depth knowledge of French inheritance law and tax and the implications on UK estates.

Sarah-Jane specialises in providing inheritance tax and legal advice, breaking down the complex and conflicting French and UK laws and subsequent tax implications.

In 2021, Sarah-Jane was one of four university alumni panel spokespersons at a Q&A session with over 75 new and existing students. She has delivered a number of talks to A-Level law students on alternative routes into the law and, in 2022, was runner-up for the LawNet Trainee of the Year Award.

Sarah-Jane said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed the solicitor apprenticeship – gaining vital skills whilst working and studying at the same time. I am grateful to Ashtons Legal and all my colleagues for their support and would wholeheartedly recommend the solicitor apprenticeship to anyone who wants to work in law”.

Ashtons’ CEO James Tarling adds: “I am hugely proud of Sarah-Jane and congratulate her on her dedication and achievement. The Solicitor Apprenticeship route is an exciting new way to qualify as a solicitor which we are proud to have supported from the outset. It forms part of Ashtons’ strategy of training and developing our employees and supporting the long-term plans of our staff. I am delighted for Sarah-Jane and wish her well in her future career with the firm”.