At Priory Law, our values are not simply words we use. Transparency, caring, innovation and passion shape how we work, how we communicate, and how we support neurodivergent clients moving home, one of the most important and often most stressful moments in their lives.
Moving home is rarely just a legal transaction. It is personal, emotional, practical and, at times, overwhelming. There are forms to complete, documents to find, deadlines to meet, decisions to make and updates to understand. There may be viewings to manage, disruption at home, uncertainty about timings and the pressure of waiting for other people in the chain.
For many people, that process is stressful. For neurodivergent clients, it can sometimes feel even more difficult to navigate.
Why We Support Neurodivergent Clients Moving Home
That is why Priory Law recently invited Tamzin Hall, founder of The Neurodiversity Academy, to deliver bespoke neurodiversity training for the team.
Tamzin works with organisations to create more neuro-inclusive workplaces through training, coaching and consultancy. Her work helps teams understand neurodivergence in a practical, human way, not simply as a label, but as a different way of processing information, communication, pressure and change.
For Anne-Marie Fowler, Managing Director of Priory Law, arranging the training was deeply important. Following her own ADHD diagnosis, Anne-Marie recognised even more clearly how vital it is for the team to understand that not everyone communicates, processes information or responds to stress in the same way.
Anne-Marie Fowler, Managing Director of Priory Law, said:
"Following my own ADHD diagnosis, I became even more aware of how important communication really is. It made me reflect on how differently people process information, particularly during stressful situations. Moving home can be overwhelming for anyone, but for neurodivergent clients it can bring additional challenges that are not always visible. I wanted the team to have practical training that would help us support clients, colleagues and professional partners with more clarity, patience and understanding."
This was not training for the sake of it. It was about giving the team practical strategies they could use immediately, with clients, colleagues, professional partners and each other. The aim was simple: to make communication clearer, support more thoughtful, and the client experience more accessible. Tamzin's session was built around Anne-Marie's brief. It focused on understanding neurodivergent communication, accessibility and practical ways of working, covering areas including justice sensitivity, rejection sensitive dysphoria, demand avoidance, time blindness and everyday communication strategies.
Tamzin Hall, founder of The Neurodiversity Academy, said:
"Neurodiversity training is about helping organisations understand that people process information, pressure, communication and change differently. When a business invests in this kind of training, it sends a powerful message that people do not have to struggle in silence or mask who they are. For a business like Priory Law, where clients may be going through one of the most stressful times in their lives, this awareness can make a real difference. Small changes in communication can help people feel understood, supported and more in control."
The Flat-Pack Analogy
Tamzin's session started with a simple question: how would you build a piece of flat-pack furniture?
The answers, of course, were all different. Some people would read the instructions carefully before starting. Some would lay every piece out first. Some would jump straight in and work it out as they went along. Some would feel frustrated before they had even opened the box.
The point was simple but powerful. People can be given the same task, the same information and the same intended outcome, but their response to it can be completely different. None of those responses are wrong. They are simply different ways of processing.
Now imagine the flat-pack is not a bookcase. It is buying or selling a home.
There may be paperwork to complete, identification documents to provide, mortgage information to understand, enquiries to answer, legal updates to read and important dates to remember. There may also be people walking around your home for viewings, routines being disrupted and the emotional strain of waiting for decisions or progress.
For someone who is neurodivergent, that combination of uncertainty, administration, deadlines, communication and change can feel especially intense. Stress, tiredness and pressure can make everything harder. Tasks that may look simple from the outside, replying to an email, finding a document, completing a form, making a decision, can feel much bigger when someone is already overwhelmed.
How We Communicate Differently
As conveyancers, we cannot remove every stressful part of moving home. But we can think carefully about how we communicate, how we explain things, and how we support clients through the process.
That might mean:
- Being clearer about what we need and why we need it
- Following up a phone call in writing
- Breaking information into smaller, more manageable steps
- Giving a clear deadline rather than leaving something open-ended
- Asking whether a client would prefer a phone call, an email or a written summary
Sometimes, the most helpful question is also the simplest: "How can we make this easier for you?"
That question matters because accessibility is not about making assumptions. It is about listening.
A client may know that they struggle to respond to emails unless there is a clear deadline. They may prefer a call if something is urgent. They may need reassurance that asking questions is welcome. They may find long documents difficult to process all at once. They may simply need to understand which task is the priority today.
These are not big changes. But they can make a big difference.
Tamzin's training also highlighted something that applies far beyond neurodivergence: when communication is clear, thoughtful and structured, everyone benefits. Explaining the "why" behind a request can reduce anxiety. Offering choices can help people feel more in control. Writing things down can reduce confusion. Checking in can prevent someone from feeling lost, judged or overwhelmed.
This is why the training felt so aligned with the way Priory Law wants to practise law. We do not want clients to feel as though they are being pushed through a process they do not understand. We want them to feel informed, supported and treated as individuals.
Tamzin's Practical Top Tip
Tamzin always aims to leave people with something practical they can use straight away.
For clients who find parts of the moving process stressful, particularly moments such as viewings, appointments or having people in your home, her advice is simple: plan something positive whilst this is happening.
It does not have to be complicated. It just has to be personal to you. For one person, it might be a quiet walk. For someone else, it might be sitting with a coffee away from the house. For someone else, it might be calling a friend or taking time somewhere that feels safe and familiar. The idea is to balance something that takes energy with something that gives energy back.
It is a small act of care, but small acts of care matter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does neurodiversity mean?
Neurodiversity recognises that people's brains do not all work in the same way. Neurodivergence can include ADHD, Autism, AuDHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Tourette Syndrome and other differences in how people process information, communication, organisation, time, emotion and change. It is not about seeing neurodivergence as a deficit. It is about understanding that people may be wired differently, with genuine strengths as well as genuine challenges.
Why does this matter during the moving home process?
Buying or selling a home involves a lot of information, paperwork, decisions, deadlines and uncertainty. For a neurodivergent client, that can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when communication is unclear or several tasks are happening at once. At Priory Law, we understand that moving home is not just a legal process. It is a personal experience. The more we understand how different people communicate and process stress, the better we can support them.
What areas did the training cover?
Tamzin's session with the Priory Law team looked at neurodivergent communication in a practical way. It covered topics including justice sensitivity, rejection sensitive dysphoria, demand avoidance, time blindness and everyday communication strategies. The focus was not on labelling people. It was about understanding why someone may respond differently to pressure, deadlines, feedback, uncertainty or requests, and what we can do to communicate with more clarity and care.
What is justice sensitivity?
Justice sensitivity is when perceived unfairness causes a strong emotional, cognitive or physical response. In a conveyancing setting, this is a reminder that explaining the "why" behind a decision or request matters. A short explanation can build trust and reduce distress.
What is rejection sensitive dysphoria?
Rejection sensitive dysphoria, often associated with ADHD, can involve an intense emotional response to perceived rejection, criticism or failure. This is why warm, clear and unambiguous communication matters. A client should never be left feeling that they are a nuisance for asking a question.
What is demand avoidance?
Demand avoidance is when the nervous system experiences demands or expectations as a genuine threat response, rather than simple stubbornness or laziness. For clients, this could mean breaking tasks down into smaller steps, offering choice where possible, or asking "would it help if we talked this through by phone?"
What is time blindness?
Time blindness is a different experience of time. It can make deadlines, sequencing and time passing feel harder to judge. For conveyancing, this reinforces the value of clear deadlines, reminders and written summaries.
How does Priory Law support neurodivergent clients?
Small changes can make a real difference. These may include clear explanations, written summaries, structured updates, realistic deadlines, reminders and asking clients what type of communication works best for them. The key is not to assume. The key is to ask.
What is one practical tip for clients who feel overwhelmed?
If something in the moving process feels stressful, such as having viewings at your home or dealing with a difficult task, plan something positive whilst this is happening. That might be going for a coffee, taking a walk, seeing a friend or doing something calming and familiar. The idea is to balance something that takes energy with something that gives energy back.
About Tamzin Hall
Tamzin Hall is the founder of The Neurodiversity Academy. She works with organisations to help them create environments where neurodivergent employees can thrive, offering support through training, coaching, consultancy and tailored neurodiversity strategy.
Her approach is practical, compassionate and strategy-led. Through The Neurodiversity Academy, Tamzin helps organisations understand neurodivergence in the workplace and develop inclusive ways of working that support both individuals and the wider business.
For Priory Law, Tamzin created a bespoke session focused on neurodivergent communication, accessibility and practical strategies the team could take away and use with clients, colleagues and professional partners.
About Anne-Marie Fowler
Anne-Marie Fowler is Managing Director of Priory Law. Her vision for the firm is to move away from traditional conveyancing and create a client-centred experience, with clear communication and genuine care at the heart of the service.
Following her own ADHD diagnosis, Anne-Marie wanted to ensure the Priory Law team had a deeper understanding of neurodivergence and how it can affect communication, stress, deadlines and support needs. For Anne-Marie, arranging this training was about more than awareness. It was about making sure Priory Law continues to communicate with clarity, care and understanding, for clients, colleagues and professional partners.
About Priory Law
Priory Law is a specialist residential conveyancing firm acting for clients across England and Wales. Regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC Licence No. 12134), the firm offers a structured, transparent and personal alternative to high-volume conveyancing.
This training was another step in making our service more accessible and even more thoughtful. It reflects our values in practice. Transparency, because we know clear communication matters. Caring, because we understand that every client experiences the moving process differently. Innovation, because we are always looking for better ways to support people. Passion, because we genuinely care about improving the experience of moving home.
Priory Law has a growing number of five-star reviews on Google and ReviewSolicitors.
No two people build the flat-pack in exactly the same way. And no two clients experience moving home in exactly the same way either. Our role is to recognise that, respond to it, and support people with clarity, care and understanding.
We understand it's personal.