Career break solicitors

[rac79]

Dear Mummies

I am heading towards being a full-time mum but am currently a solicitor. For various reasons, going back to work full-time isn't an option and there are no part-time opportunities where I work. This has meant to me that I won't be employable (in any practical sense) until I can honestly say that my family is complete and by then (maybe five year s down the line) my skills will be weakened and my experience stale.

This got me to thinking that I can't be the only (almost) ex-solicitor to be in this position. It can be a tough job designed for full-time+ commitment. I have looked at maintaining my CPD through LawWorks or similar but it requires actively seeking employment.

I believe that there are mummies out there, locally, who may need or want a career break from law for a while for the various, complicated, reasons that are involved in this job which precludes them from the LawWorks and PLC options.

If you are one of those mummies, how do you feel about the idea of volunteering your time in a law centre especially designed for your situation? What would you need to have to be interested in doing so? CPD? Practising Cert? Childcare? Etc.

I'd be really grateful for your feedback. I'd like to try to meet the prevalent concerns and see if we can find something co-operative that will help us all out.

Thank you.

[redshoes]

Hi. This is an interesting idea. I have been a full-time mum for 12 years (where did the time go?!) and previously had just qualified as a solicitor. Most of my training was in Family law. For me the attraction would be training for myself to update my knowledge/build confidence - I have looked at LawWorks but am not actively seeing employment atm. Hth

[TessDurbeyfield]

I'm not in this position but nearly was (am doing something different now) and have thought about keeping this solicitor route open in this kind of way. I would be most concerned about insurance, keeping up on changes in the law/training and the position regarding practising cert. The reasons for doing it would be the same as redshoes mentions (confidence, keeping up to date, recent experience with clients etc)

[iluvbananas]

I am working as a solicitor at the moment but am FT and my DH has just started a new FT job after being S/E and looking after the kids. I am hoping he will earn enough so I can leave my job, the stress and the hours. I have school age kids and no life now both of us are working. My job takes up all of my energy and brain with not much left for anything else. I want to get my kids through school for the next few years by helping them with homework and making nice dinners for when everyone gets home. I want to do my own housework again cos my cleaner does the bare minimum. I am saving up my course fees to go back to uni to do an LLM. After that I have no idea. There were only 28 part time positions on law gazette jobs website this week, most for crim duty sols and there is no way I would do criminal again. I am thinking of volunteering at CAB to widen my knowledge again and hopefully this might lead to pt paid advice work. Our local law centre doesn't take advice workers on voluntary basis only admin people. Why don't more firms do job share? I know so many lawyers who are mums and want part time hours???

[Leftwingharpie]

Professional indemnity insurance would be my concern. It's so difficult to get, you'd be perceived as high risk. Certainly it would be very expensive.

[givemeaclue]

Have you put in a flexible working request where you work? To go part time? Be aware u.at if you leave for a career break it will be very hard to get back into. If you can get a part time arrangement where you are that cold work out nmuch ch better in long run

[rac79]

Hi, thanks for these ideas! They are great. I take your point about professional indemnity insurance. Also, I think that trying to set up an organisation that provides or reimburses childcare whilst providing free support will need so much charitable funding that it may be unrealistic in these climes. So, I wonder if in fact the best way to volunteer is by doing research or phone lines from home on evenings or weekends and working for already established charities. What if there was something that allowed you to work in your own home, on your own time (with a commitment to the number of hours) that gave you some new skills or helped maintain some transferable skills?