The nurse who became a solicitor

Sarah Mansfield is a Legal Director in Cullimore Dutton’s Property Litigation team. She joined us in April 2021 and is a highly experienced solicitor and litigator who acts for our private and social landlord clients, freeholders and management companies and developers. Here she talks about what inspired her to leave her job as a nurse and retrain in the legal field.

What inspired your change of career?

I started my career as an accident and emergency nurse in London after gaining qualifications in intensive care, anaesthetics and recovery care.

I really enjoyed the job but I’ve always been ambitious and, because I qualified as a nurse without going down the University route, I wanted to stretch myself and get a degree.

It had to be something vocational – I also applied to be a flying doctor in Australian – and something that made a difference to people. I chose the law.

What do you love about your work?

What I do is pretty unique because I do everything a property agent does as well as all the legals. It’s a complete offer.

I’m also a practical problem solver and love sitting down with a client and applying my knowledge to an issue and coming up with the solution.

I’ve got a huge interest in all the issues surrounding cladding, following on from the Grenfell Tower fire five years ago.

As well as being involved with the Liverpool Law Society and London Law Society on cladding in relation to property law, I regularly talk to my property clients who are concerned about how it impacts on them and often act as an intermediary for them.

Tell us about life outside work

I’m involved with Merseyside Water Rescue, a volunteer-based Search and Rescue charity which operates a rescue boat around the Liverpool docks.

Established in 2018, it is the only dedicated safety boat on the South Liverpool Docks and we attend an average of 100 incidents every year.

The charity fills the gap between the emergency services and the coastguard and helps to provide assistance and care to people in trouble in the water.

I also enjoy sewing and furniture upholstery, photography, cooking and walking my two dogs.