Ammosaph

Thanks everyone for your posts - I totally forgot to update the thread. We chose Willetton in the end. Well - to be fair - the house chose us. Once we viewed it we knew that was the one for us and it happened to be in Willetton. We move on Monday and can't wait! We've been living with friends and family for over 8 months now, we can't wait to have our own front door and be reunited with our stuff next week when our container is finally unloaded. Yey!!!

Hi Everyone I've just been reading with interest all of your posts about Willetton. We move there on Monday and - whilst I'm excited about the move - I am starting to get a little nervous. We've been in WA since August and have been living with a friend in Clarkson so the mover NOR to SOR is a quite a big deal for us. We love the house we're renting and the area seems lovely (we've done various night/day/mid day/weekend/mid week drive bys - just to see if we see anything we don't like and nothing, it just seems like a really nice area. All the posts on this thread have just further reinforced my own thoughts and have helped to settle my nerves! Thanks also for all the tips for restaurants and takeaways - I'll be jotting those down and checking them out later. Thanks everyone, : )

Thank you fifi and ali - I really appreciate the feedback. I got a really good vibe when I was there but just needed some other viewpoints. One thing I didn't spot when I was there was a local pub. Perhaps somewhere to go on a Sunday afternoon that's walking distance from home. Are there any? Or is it a case of hoping on a bus or a train and heading to the City or Freo? Thanks

We had a similar experience - don't worry you're not alone. We put our house on last August (2012) - after 3 months of no viewings we ditched the agent and went with a new one. We finally got an offer in January (2013) and completed in April. We eventually got on that plane and landed here on 13 August (6 weeks ago). I don't envy you your current position. I remember it well, its not pleasant. Everything went on hold for us too - we literally lived week to week thinking (hoping) that we'd be moving soon and therefore couldn't/shouldn't book anything up or make any large purchases or long term commitments. As a result of that time Me and my OH now have a long running (friendly) argument about Micky Flanagan. The coversation went like this: July 12 (OH) - ooh look MF is playing in town in Jan (13), I like MF lets go! July 12 (Me) - no, we won't be here! The house will have sold and we'll be in Perth by Xmas! Jan 13 (OH) - oh, look MF is playing in town tonight, it would have been good to have seen him : ( Jan 13 (Me) - yes, it would : ( Now everytime MF is on the telly, my OH goes "Oh look, MF, I like MF, we could have gone and seen him but you said no. No you said, we won't be here. But we were and it was sold out. I bet MF won't tour WA. I'll never see MF now" etc etc. Broken record. Broken record. To save you from my fate my best advice to you now is to try to carry on as normal, remember to keep living your life and don't let the current "limbo" mean you miss out on stuff (or else, like me, you'll never hear the end of it!). Our delay came with some silver linings too though - it meant I got to meet my baby niece (born Jan 13) but also celebrate my brother's 40th birthday with him (July 13) - I'm so glad I did, I'd have missed both if we'd moved when we'd originally hoped to. Also, just to make you feel better, the weather here is pretty rough at the moment. Its really stormy (sever weather warnings on a daily basis) and its been recorded at Perth's wettest September in 40 years! Trust me - weather wise - you are better off where you are at the mo! Chin up - it will all come good for you in the end I'm sure. :biggrin:

We registered our State Sponsorship about 4 weeks ago (a couple of weeks after we arrived). They didn't mention the surveys so we asked about it. We were met with complete disinterest. I can't remember the words said but the gist of it was - we may or may not send you something, don't worry if we don't, you are here now so just get on with it.

Hi Everyone Me and my OH moved over to WA from the South of England about 6 weeks ago. We initially thought we'd like to live near the sea but stumbled accross Bull Creek (and neighbouring Leeming) last weekend and, for the first time, I'm now considering settling a little in-land. Reason being it seemed so friendly and welcoming.... SOR is a better location for us for OH work and I'm ok provided I can get a train to CBD - which is only 15mins from Bull Creek which is fab. I also like that it is fairly close to Freo (c 20 mins in the car) and Coogee Beach isn't too far away, which I've heard lots of good things about. There seems to be a decent enough local shopping centre too. I'm 36, OH is 42, we have no kids but once we're settled would like to start a family. So, lets have it, please give me all your thoughts/opinions/views (be they positive or negative) about potentially settling in this area. I need as much intel as I can get! I look forward to hearing from you all.

Hi Everyone Just to let you know I've now heard back from the Law Society and they've assessed that I need to study: Constitutional Law, Evidence, Civil Procedure, Trust & Office Accounting and Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Which I think are the 5 compulsory ones - regardless of years of practice and experience. So, whilst it was a mare to gather the information and complete the papers i'm through it and got a good result, so I'm pleased. We leave for Perth in about 2 weeks and I hope to start my studies soon after landing. I'll check back in in about 6 months to let you know how I'm getting on. Best of luck to everyone else who is going through this process. Ammosaph : )

Hi Everyone Its been a short while since I posted but have news! This week I (finally) finished my app for the WA Legal Practice Board (together with report about me from me, report about me from a colleague and a pack of certified qualification certificates and assorted stuff). I have just this minute emailed my form off and I'm sat here waiting for the post office to open before I send it on its journey to WA. Wish me luck!! I should hear back in about a month, I'll let you know how I got on. Ammosaph :biggrin:

... day 2 of the big pack. They have been brilliant. A really nice crew, very friendly and professional. Its all real now! Just notice to serve at work and then we're off :jiggy:

Hello All I think its time to re-name my post as 6 months will have come and gone soon. So far the house has been on the market for 2 months and no viewings. We have binned off the original agent and signed up with a new one but we know that - even if we sell this year - it will be the new year before we are free from the house and can move. We were very down about it for a while but have had a good talking to ourselves and have made the following plans in order to turn our frowns upside down. Because our timeline hasn't worked out we will now be able to do the following things (in date order): 1. See the last Twilight film with my Mum (November) 2. Have one last Christmas with the family. 3. Spend NYE at Trafalgar Square (never done that before) 4. Meet my new (first) niece - she is due to arrive into the world in January! Had our original plan worked out we wouldn't have done any of the above, so I'm going to take it as a good thing. If I am here for another 3 to 6 months I'm going to wring as much fun out of those months as I can. That all said, I am still focussed on getting to my destination asap, so to focus my mind, I'm buying tickets to see Pink in Perth in June! Even if I step off the plane and go straight to the concert I am going to be there! Ammosaph

Hi Where are you thinking of moving? I can help you with websites for WA but if you're not moving to Perth that won't help you much! In the case of Perth I've been told that the assessment is only valid for 12 months - meaning you have to start studying within that 12 month period for your extra qualifications or have to go through the assessment again.

Thanks, I'm going to need it!

I fear I may have to do the same, if you check my earlier post just now you'll see I've found the tricky part of the form! How many subjects did you have to sit and how long did it take you? I think I'll be lucky if I get away with even half of the 11 required subjects assessed as equivalent, I'm planning on studying part-time (evening classes if possible) so I'm guessing I'm looking at several years......

Hi I've just found the scary part of the form, the part where I've got to set out "precisely" what I studied 14 years ago and justify that its equivalent to the 11 subjects they require me to have studied to an "equivalent" level. Yey! Step one, I have contacted my old college to ask if they've kept the course/subject outlines, I certainly haven't. I've got my certificates and my grade transcripts but have no idea what topics I studied when sitting criminal law (for example), especially as I haven't studied (or worked) in criminal law since the moment I stepped out of the exam room. Also, found out that subjects studied at LPC won't count. This isn't great for me as I did CPE not a law degree so half of my legal academic studies have been wiped out as not applicable. I'm getting the feeling that I might be studying for quite a while at this rate - oh well, no one ever said it was going to be easy!! I will let you know how I get on, Ammosaph : )

Another big step forward. After having the form for about a year, yesterday I printed off the WA Law Soc admission assessment form - and read it! You can't rush these things. Now just need to fill it in - this may take me a while as I'd rather do anything else that this, especially as I need to update my CV, to be honest I'd rather clean the cooker! I'm a bit concerned though as (having now read it) it all seems a touch too straight forward. I just have to complete some standard boxes - name, address, qualificaitons, where I've worked and attach a CV. Either the WA process is more straight forward that other states or I'm missing something..... Also there's a suspicious question that I don't know whether its a good or a bad thing. Its - "do you have more than 7 years experience?" I do, I've got 10 (12 if you count my training contract). Does that mean I'll get an easy ride as they'll acknowledge that I've been doing this for a while so probably know what I'm doing or will they think I'm a fossil that needs to go back to school to learn what the new kids are learning...... I'll let you all know how I get on as/when I submit it. My own personal deadline is end of Sept to complete/submit so you may not hear from me for a short time.

Thanks for the info Mizzmp. I'm reassured that the one we've chosen is in your list above. Thank you.

Hi Alice, can you forward the name by pm to me too? I'm asking you as the poor original poster has been inundated and I don't want to add another to the pile when they've got other bigger things to be getting on with at the mo. We've recently signed up with one of the "big ones" but i'll happily withdraw from them if its the same one. Thanks, Ammosaph

Mmmmm - thinking of renaming my post the "????? months countdown....." We've been on the market for over 4 weeks now and so far no viewings. The estate agent says August is always slow but is very positive about September prospects. Very frustrating as when we went on the market i was thinking right, this is it, last step and we're off! Unfortunately the excitement has waned. Still, on a positive note, every month we're here its another month paid off the mortgage and another month in savings.......

Sorry to hear that Heather - the number of topics you need to retake seems a bit harsh! Best of luck with getting through them, hopefully once you are dual qualified more doors will open for you. Ammosaph

Thanks guys for all those depressing posts - I feel really positive now ; ) We're relatively lucky where we live in that houses are moving in the area (albeit slowly). I think we are priced realistically - there are others on the market for £5k to £15k more than ours and we're a comparable size and quality so I'm hopeful. My agent advised that August is generally quiet but that September usually picks up. We'd rather not rent it as I would like to move "no strings" but it might come to that. We'll have a rethink if by the end of Sept we're still shackled to our bricks! Good news is we've got till 2016 to move - its just a case of "when" not "if"!

Hi Loopylu Perth is the place for us at the moment, we've got SS so are obliged to settle there to begin with and its actually where we'd like to be. That said we're not ruling out other parts of Australia if something came up. I'd love to work in-house; 8 out of my 10 qualified working years have been in-house so my ideal would be to stay there. I understand in-house roles are bit like hens teeth though so I have resigned myself to going back into private practice for a while - either way I'm sure I'll find a role that I like with a firm or company that I like and that likes me back. Its all just part of the big adventure : ) Ammosaph

I'm in the same boat too. House has been on the market for 4 weeks and so far no viewings. We had hoped to have moved in time to spend Christmas in Oz but that seems unlikely now. I echo the last post though, our agent said Sept is usually busy as people hope to move in time for Christmas. We're trying not to get too worked up about it - our current frame of mind is we are moving, its just a case of when not if. I totally sympathise with your frustrations though so do feel free to keep venting. Ammosaph

Hi Loopylu I would love to take time out to study full time but its not going to happen. I'll have to work and do evening classes/day release. I know it will take me longer to do it that way but sadly we don't have the funds for me to be out of work. I'm a general commercial lawyer - mainly commercial contracts - I can turn my hand to most things that hit the commercial world but have literally no experience of construction/mining etc which seems to be the area that most people work in. I'm a quick learner so give me time and I'm sure I'll catch up! That said, if everyone else is doing construction and mining that means the roles that require a general commercial lawyer may be overlooked by many - so perhaps I can continue as I am.....? Basically I'm just going to wait and see. This whole thing is an adventure and I see my career and where it will end up as just part of the ride! Ammosaph

Hi Britlaw I'm a English qualified solicitor, 10PQE, moving to Perth at some point in the next 3 to 6 months (house sale dependent). I've looked into this a fair bit, talked to firms and recruitment agents and have concluded that yes - I need to requalify. As other posters have indicated its not compulsory to do so to work in the legal profession but you won't be able to call yourself a solicitor unless you do. I've also been told by recruitment agents that it would be expected for someone of my PQE to requalify. It also demonstrates to employers that you are committed to staying in the area. What I've worked out so far is you have to complete a very long and very complicated set of forms and submit them to the WA Law Soc (presumably the Law Society of the state you are moving to if you're not going to WA). Those forms detail who you are and what experience you have, from that the Law Soc determines which courses you have to sit to requalify - basically its some modules from an Australian law degree. From what I can work out there are about 4 compulsories - it doesn't matter what experience your have - then it depends on what the assessor thinks you need to do. Personally I'm looking forward to going back to uni for a bit, its going to be another way of meeting people and settling in. If you want to PM me I'm happy to let you know how I get on with the move, the job hunt and the re-qualification. So far I have the big scary forms (have had them for about a year) just can't quite bring myself to fill them in yet. Step 1 for me is to contact the WA Law Soc again to check if the forms have changed since they sent them to me last year. Hope this helps, Ammosaph.

Thank you for this. I'm in my final stretch of trying to leave England - just trying to sell the house, then serve notice at work then go. We've had no interest in the house so we're in a deep funk at the moment. Its been a long road and currently I'm exhausted and wondering if its all been worth it. Your post gave me the boost I needed and reminded me why I'm doing this. Thank you.