Neurodivergence and Law: ADHD Awareness Month
Neurodivergence and Law: ADHD Awareness Month
My name is Chiara Rathmell, and I am a Probate Assistant in the Wills and Probate department. I am currently undertaking my continuing education with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives while training at Chadwick Lawrence LLP.
I was diagnosed with combined-type ADHD in December 2022, which changed my life.
As October comes to a close, so does ADHD Awareness Month – a time dedicated to education, reducing stigma, and opening meaningful conversations.
As our understanding of ADHD evolves, so does our appreciation for the different ways neurodivergent people think and work, and the different insights they bring. Continuing these conversations is essential to challenging the myths surrounding the condition.
Understanding ADHD Beyond the Myths
ADHD isn’t simply an inability to sit still or pay attention. It is a neurodevelopmental condition involving actual structural and chemical differences in the brain. These differences affect executive functioning and manifest as inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive traits, each carrying their own misconceptions. Because these traits present differently across genders, many women remain undiagnosed until later in life.
These differences in the brain can also be associated with other conditions, such as anxiety, depression, insomnia or dyslexia, meaning that over two-thirds of people with ADHD will experience one or more co-occurring conditions.
Executive Functioning
Your brain has a system that allows you to manage your own thoughts, emotions and actions. For those with ADHD there can be difficulties with that system.
The system oversees your working memory, which can be challenging for those with ADHD; your cognitive flexibility, which allows your brain to switch between tasks and your inhibitory control, which is responsible for your ability to regulate your own thoughts, emotions and actions.
Inattentive Traits: A Surplus of Attention
The common misconception is that inattentiveness is purely an inability to focus. In reality, ADHD isn’t an attention deficit, it’s an attention surplus. An ADHD can take in multiple things simultaneously, a conversation two rooms over, a flickering light down the hallway, the printer jamming, the slight shift in room temperature, all whilst in the middle of a conversation. The real challenge is directing that focus onto a single task.
However, this also enables the ability to hyperfocus, which is the ability to become completely immersed in a task that you are interested in. This can be useful for many reasons, such as revision or completing complex tasks under tight deadlines. But switching out of this mindset can be very difficult, forgetting about basic needs, such as taking a break or remembering to eat.
Inattention can also present as forgetfulness or disorganisation, but to manage this, many neurodivergent people develop structured routines and systems to compensate, often becoming highly organised. I myself have been called ‘Queen Supreme organised’ by my Head of Department once. But if you knew me in high school or college, this would be very hard to believe.
Hyperactive traits
Hyperactivity is often pictured as physical restlessness or fidgeting. As adults, however, much of that energy turns inward into racing thoughts, struggling to switch off, a constant sense of internal pressure or urgency, chronic stress, or anxiety.
Growing up with ADHD often teaches people to internalise or “mask” these external traits to meet social expectations. “Masking is like acting in a play all day. Other people see the character you’re performing, but they don’t see the amount of effort it takes behind the scenes.”
Impulsive traits
Impulsivity is often misinterpreted as just acting without thinking or interrupting others. Impulse control in an ADHD brain runs much deeper. It affects emotional regulation and decision-making, often making criticism feel far more intense, or creating a sudden perceived urgency to overhaul some part of your life.
In a fast-paced legal environment, however, this same trait can double as quick decision-making under pressure, offer fresh ideas, or tackle unexpected challenges head-on without overthinking.
My experience
Before receiving my diagnosis, I actually left two different colleges, because I struggled learning in those environments and was struggling with my interpersonal relationships.
Despite this, I remained determined to work towards my goals, and thanks to the right treatment, I have since completed an apprenticeship working at a criminal law firm, whilst simultaneously obtaining a qualification from the National Association of Licensed Paralegals, advanced my education through the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and continue this training now at Chadwick Lawrence.
Whilst studying and working at the same time provides its own challenges, I have learnt to be kinder to myself throughout the process, as well as what adaptions to make and what processes work best for me, such as utilising methods to externalise working memory, or using music to improve my ability to focus.
Working at Chadwick Lawrence however, has had the biggest impact on my ability to manage both studying and working. Throughout the day my ability to focus solely on revision fluctuates and Chadwick Lawrence supported me by adjusting the hours of my working day to accommodate for those peak revision times to help me progress the best I can.
Having access to support such as noise-cancelling headphones, additional working-from-home days and regular catch-ups with HR has made a real difference to my experience. Having an understanding and supportive team around me has also helped me feel more comfortable communicating my needs and finding ways of working that allow me to perform at my best.
If there is one thing I hope people take away from ADHD Awareness Month, it is the importance of recognising that everyone processes information differently. Whether that means presenting information in different formats, adapting communication styles or allowing flexibility in how tasks are completed, small adjustments can make a significant difference.
By taking the time to understand these differences and recognising people’s individual strengths, we can create more inclusive and supportive working environments where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
