I took a month of paternity leave and holiday when my daughter was born which was invaluable and so appreciated by my wife (we were able to be in the non-sleeping/strange-eating pattern bubble together). I then took shared parental leave by working three days a week for a few months, with another full month of leave when my baby was five months.

Working part time took some adjusting to, with clients still expecting a quick turnaround. So I did respond to calls and emails on my days off but considered this a small burden for the benefit of spending the additional time with my wife and baby.

The month of shared parental leave when the baby was five months was amazing. It was long enough that I could fully hand over matters and really enjoy our time together. I know some men who take shared paternity leave do it on their own after their partner is back at work but I have to say what I enjoyed the most was having the time together as a family unit.

Adam Hayward, Senior Associate, Real Estate