Celebrating 40 years of TMJ Legal Services

As part of our 40th year, we are continuing to introduce some of the people behind TMJ.

This time, we are catching up with Clair Dunkerly, Director and Head of the Private Client Department. Clair joined TMJ in 2008 as an Assistant Solicitor in the Private Client Department and became a Director in 2011.

As TMJ Legal Services marks 40 years, we are proud to celebrate both our history and the people who are part of our future.

How long have you been with TMJ, and what has your journey looked like?

I left a job I really liked in 2007, where I handled complex probate work, often for families in the farming industry. That job gave me excellent experience for which I am grateful. Sadly, I couldn’t convince my husband, a devoted Pools fan and lover of his home town, to move out of Hartlepool. I decided I didn’t want to commute to work for the rest of my working life. Obviously, there wasn’t the option of working from home part of the week back then. When I heard about the vacancy at TMJ for the role of Solicitor/ Head of Private Client, I decided to go for a chat about the opportunity. I accepted the offer of employment back home.

My previous boss marked my leaving card with the simple words “you will regret it”, and at the time I wasn’t convinced that she was right. However. 18 years on, I am still at TMJ. I wouldn’t want to lie. There have, obviously, been difficult times over 18 years along with the good ones. In all of that time, though. I’ve never really regretted accepting the job at TMJ. I have worked with some inspiring people over the years who have taught me so much about the law, running a business, resilience, not giving up when the odds are against you and just life in general.

What does a typical day in your life look like?

The working day usually starts with the wake-up alarm, press snooze a couple of times, and get up and about. Get the kids off to school and college and then get into the office.

Always start with a cup of strong coffee.

The rest of the day is never the same. Move on 18 years from when I started at TMJ. I am now one of the Directors of the firm and not just doing the legal work.

A typical day usually involves meeting with clients, drafting documents, negotiating with other solicitors, progressing all matters on my matter list, helping other members of staff with problem cases, and dealing with office administration issues.

At the end of the working day, it’s time to go home and take out the pots and pans. Feed the family. Then, if I am lucky and not a taxi for kids’ activities, I'll do a little run around the block or park.

What do you enjoy the most about your work?

Solving a problem. In my line of work, there are plenty of problems to solve! I am glad we are not a massive firm, as we have enough problem cases to solve landing on my desk every week.

What professional milestones are you most proud of?

The opening of our new Peterlee Office. This represents a massive step forward for the firm.

This has been years in the making and hasn’t happened overnight. It has taken years of effort from the management team. The effort to recruit the right teams, the time spent training young solicitors. There have been many sacrifices in recent years in pursuit of financial progress.

Then it will finally all happen in 2026. The management team, and in particular Carol MacDonald, has got the new building looking lovely and professional inside. We have moved everything from the old office to the new one, and we are now seeing clients at our new place.

The new office represents what I want to achieve as a Director at TMJ, which is progress.

What do you think has helped TMJ reach 40 years in business?

We haven’t tried to expand too quickly. We are not dependent on referral work. Our work comes from existing clients who return to us because they are satisfied with the service we provide, and from recommendations from those clients. We value our clients, and that is why they come back to us and recommend our services to friends and family. Long may this continue.

What makes TMJ different from other firms?

We try to offer a supportive, friendly atmosphere in terms of the working environment. There is no getting away from the fact that working in a legal practice, whatever line of work, is a difficult and stressful job

We try not to add to the difficulties of the job by making it also competitive in terms of strict fee targets and comparing billable hours recorded, like some firms are keen to do.

We also appreciate teamwork, and the ethos is to help each other. In any organisation, the best results come from working together.