I need to leave my job

@CoronationChicken did you take the plunge? How did it go? In a similar situation x

Apply for an in house role- Much less stressful.

CoronationChicken I am going to start looking in the new year. I am keen to have a month or two off and renew my batteries before starting something new.

Don't let this experience erode your confidence, op. I think as lawyers we have a tendency to overthink and to fear the worst. Remember all the hoops you've already jumped through to get to where you are and how well you've already done to have qualified into the profession. Most professionals I know have a fear that they are going to be "found out" but I largely believe this is a sign of our being conscientious. All the best, whatever you decide to do xx

I am not a lawyer but I could have written your post almost word for word. I have resigned and will leave my own job at the end of this year after also working silly hours, feeling sick and anxious, waking up at night and with a boss/company who acknowledges its is not ideal...
I feel so much better just to have taken back control. Like you I am highly educated and successful so have to believe there is something better out there for me. Ultimately you are working for a company that does not care about you so it is time to move. Good luck. You won’t regret it!

Apologies, cross posted. Have you looked into the legal agencies where you can work from home?

I’m a solicitor and after years of working full time in the City, I now have 3 children and work 3 days a week. Two days in Canary Wharf and one day at home. I’m in house now for a bank. These jobs are out there and you can find one - good luck x

*could you go in- house?

As a solicitor you go in-house? I hear the hours are way better! I'd say get out....life's too short. You must be smart to be a solicitor so there will be other options for you!! Good luck!

Are you on linked in? Update your profile to say open to opportunities (or whatever it is), I was approached by quite a few recruiters on there and by a few firms directly.

It's definitely worth a look around, what's the worst that can happen? Good luck!

My caseload is the same as a full timers case load. They acknowledge this is “not ideal” but the reality is that we are so under resourced that there is literally nowhere else for the work to go

It sounds absolutely ideal from their point of view. They've got you doing 5 days worth of work for (presumably?) three days pay. They're got no incentive to change that status quo.

Good luck with the job hunt!

In my experience, full time is easier when the kids are at nursery.

In your case I would ask for an increase in hours and see if one of those can be home based. May as well take the extra money.

Then job hunt. Can you try recruitment agents? I found them easier when negotiating part time as they did that it for me!

I agree with a previous poster that it would be a shame to leave the profession because if this. Could you look at your case load and select 40% of cases that you require to hand over? This makes the ‘problem’ (unfairness) tangible to the employer. Or do you feel the working relationship is beyond retrieval? Can you explore recruitment consultants in your area to have a chat with?

I'm an employment lawyer too, there are definitely part time roles out there!

I am also a professional woman with 4 children and work in a very busy hospital as a consultant so I am acutely aware of how difficult it is to do a highly stressful job along with bringing up children. I think you need to go meet with your manager and tell him your workload is totally unacceptable and you are not willing to continue working under the current conditions and ask what is going to be done for you. I am horrified that you are doing work at home. Us working mothers have to separate work and home time completely in order to successful in either go to your doctor if things don’t change ASAP. This is entirely unsustainable

I'm a solicitor and work 3 days a week. I occasionally work a bit late (hour or so) but I don't do work on my days off (unless pre-arranged for an event and I get paid extra or take time off in lieu). I also don't take work home.

What area are you in? The firm sound like the problem. I have been offered quite a few jobs on a part time basis so don't rule that out. The profession is really struggling to recruit at the moment and as a result they're being more flexible than they once were. I thought it would be impossible to get three days a week but I got offers from 3 different firms for 3 day weeks.

No job is worth your health OP. Are you on 3 months' notice? Can you afford to just quit and start looking?

I am a family law solicitor and have always been able to work part-time at various different firms and my case load and target has always been 'pro-rataed' accordingly.
I am almost embarrassed to admit but I rarely stay much later than an hour after finish time at most, and rarely take work home. They are flexible if I have to arrive late or leave early to drop off or pick up.
Don't give up on law. You have worked hard to get into the profession. But find a decent firm that treat you properly and value your skills without exploiting you.
It doesn't have to be like that.

Definitely leave. I was FT previously but working every hour god sent with zero support. Worse still, I had a boss who played awful games and dropped hearings (higher rights) on me last minute in cases he thought he was going to lose and blamed me.

I was poorly all the time, lost my hair, had IBS, depression, anxiety and panic attacks and one day actually contemplated (as I was driving along) driving my car into a wall so I wouldn’t have to go to work (I later found out that wouldn’t have worked anyway as shortly afterwards he berated me for being off sick (caused by him) saying “unless you’re dead I expect you to be working, you can check emails from a hospital bed”).

I quit, took some time off and am now in a different role, PT with 9-5 hours, no checking emails evenings, weekends or holidays (I stipulated this on interview).

Absolute best thing I ever did. My hairs not grown back but it’s stopped falling out, IBS gone, am no longer sick all the time but do still have anxiety attacks, particularly social anxiety which I think has been caused by my confidence being destroyed by that firm (mostly him).

Can you maybe do a PSL role?