Sherry-Ann McGregor celebrating five years of Laws of Eve

Today marks five years since the popular Flair legal advice column written by attorney/mediator Sherry-Ann McGregor began. Whether the questions come from readers or from her own research, McGregor has touched on a number of legal topics/questions that are of importance to women, in particular, and family life, in general. She works with the firm Nunes, Scholefield, Deleon & Co.

Lifestyle Editor Barbara Ellington asked her to respond to the following questions in an email interview. Check out her regular column in Flair every Monday.

• How long have you been a lawyer and why did you choose law as your career?

I became a lawyer in 1999. I chose law as my career mainly because I was an avid reader and felt that I would be able to continue to learn new things while developing my career. There were also some very close members of my family who thought that my time would be best spent in being paid for something which I did so frequently and so well - argue.

• What aspect of law do you specialise in and why?

Broadly, I specialise in civil litigation and I am also a certified mediator. I handle all types of court-related, non-criminal legal matters. My legal practice covers the full spectrum of civil litigation, from family law to commercial litigation, fatal accident and personal-injury claims, breach of contract, land, contract and employment law, to name a few.

I started my legal career handling mainly insurance and personal-injury matters, because those are two of the main areas of practice in my firm, but my work eventually evolved into more diverse aspects of law. My focus on family law only took root after I started writing my weekly Laws of Eve columns in August 2005 in response to the needs of my readers, whom I credit for piquing my interest in this area of law which I feel has the deepest personal impact on the client. This is where I believe I have the greatest opportunity to help.

• If you were not a lawyer, what would you be doing?

If I were not a lawyer I would have been an accountant, because I had (and still have) a love and aptitude for working with figures. I actually entered the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies in 1993 with a major in accounting and completed one year of that programme before transferring to the Faculty of Law. Even after the transfer was approved, I paused to wonder whether I should have completed my accounting degree.

• Any regrets?

None at all. I enjoy what I do and there is hardly ever a dull moment.

• What do you find most exciting/challenging and least pleasurable in your work?

The most exciting/challenging aspect of my work is being able to complete a matter in a timely manner and deliver the result which satisfies my client. It is least pleasurable and a source of grave frustration for me to be unable to complete a matter at court due to reasons outside my control.

• You have been legal adviser for Jamaica's leading women's magazine for five years. What have you found most surprising about your readership in that time?

The diversity of my readership is still most surprising to me, since Flair has been known to be the magazine of choice for women. The emails and telephone calls which I have received over the years confirm that my readership spans both genders, all age groups, transcends the national border and every economic strata of the society. It is still surprising for me to be greeted by persons in a myriad of settings who recognise me as the contributor to The Gleaner's Laws of Eve.

• Where do you see yourself in the next 20 years?

Within the next 20 years I hope to be one of the leading practitioners of the law. In particular, I would like to influence a change in the manner in which family matters are handled within our courts, with greater focus on the difference which mediation can make in the resolution of custody and property disputes.

barbara.ellington@gleanerjm.com