Has anyone retrained to be a solicitor?

[MushroomTree]

I'm considering some different career options and one of them is becoming a solicitor.

Had anyone done it? How did you find it? I'm a single parent to DD who is 2 and a half. Is it the kind of career that's compatible with a child?

Any advice or tips welcome! Thank you

You need to consider as well how suited you are to an area of law. You might find family endlessly fascinating but it can be hard to have to deal with others’ personal problems all day then go home to your own. You don’t have much left to give at the end of a busy week.

Have you considered working for Citizens Advice?
It doesn't pay anything like as much as law but I think it would tick a lot of your boxes (based on what you've said) and it would be helpful experience if you wanted to train as a solicitor in future when your DC is a bit older.
All local Citizens Advice are separate organisations (members of the national network) so they will differ slightly but mine is a family-friendly employer, lots of part time employees and they are understanding about taking time off if DC are ill etc.

I have a similar background to you - degree in language then worked in communications and marketing for several years. I wanted a change so I trained as a volunteer adviser at Citizens Advice and then joined the paid staff. I find it very interesting and rewarding. Based on your posts I think you might do too.

Oh and my colleague trained as a solicitor while working for Citizens advice and has now left to do a full time job as solicitor - she said her experience with us was definitely very helpful.

*languages

Its not a career that is even vaguely compatible with being a single parent to a 2.5 year old. Both DH and I are senior lawyers, he is an equity partner in a large firm, I was previously an equity partner in a large firm and then left set up my own firm.

I'm afraid I wouldn't even consider it in your situation.

I've never worked really long hours, it has to be said. Every firm I've worked at has appreciated the work / life balance. I'll never make huge money in this sector, but I've also never had to work through the night to get something done!

Not all law / solicitor jobs are the same!

Thank you everyone. Lots of things to think about and other avenues that might be similar to law without all of the bits that are incompatible with single parenthood.

It’s not a natural choice for a single parent can be tough initially many firms want their pound of flesh at least initially. There are easier ways to make good money

I started off as one and then quit. It isn't remotely compatible, in my opinion, with a decent work life balance and it isn't child friendly.

Those of you that have suggested that there are easier ways of making good money, which careers were you thinking of in particular?

As much as my priority is my child I also can't stand the idea of being stuck in a job I don't like for years just because it fits around childcare.

Law requires years of training the risk is you work hard and pay to train and can’t get a job. It’s a gamble unless you are extremely well qualified and an attractive candidate or have other skills that set you above the rest or get lucky. The pay is amazing in the city but hours can be brutal totally child unfriendly when you junior anyway

Also the super exam sounds great but it will likely mean more people will enter law meaning less jobs or flooded market (case now) and drive down salaries further l

The civil service could be an option OP?

Accountancy?

Once you qualify there are plenty of different options to specialise, including working with charities or areas that are wordy rather than about numbers. Unless you are chasing partnership or working for one of the very big firms it's not all consuming and you can get flexible work patterns. Also opens up self employed options.

Tax is a law based specialism that is less about working with numbers once you progress (I remember a poster on here describing a friend who was a tax partner (I think) but not a numbers person). Lots of reading and researching. You might be able to get a training position direct into tax, or could specialise after general training.

The institutes if you want to read more are ACCA and ICAEW for accountancy, and CIOT for tax. If you only wanted to go as far as technician stage (rather than chartered) then it's AAT and ATT respectively.

@MrsTSwift this is my concern. I certainly can't afford to spend the time and money gaining qualifications if I can't get a job at the end of it.

@fia101 I did wonder about that. It sounds great but not if it means every Tom, Dick and Harry takes it and floods the market even further.

@Hundredacrewoods potentially. I'm open to options. I'm desperate to get out of my current job. I want a career I can really get stuck in to and have the potential to earn a reasonable amount of money. I don't need to be a millionaire but it would be nice not to worry about how I'm feeding us this month!

@Logistria I've never thought about accountancy because my maths skills are shocking. I got my GCSE maths and have barely thought about it since. I'm very much a research and words person.

Have you checked out jobs in local government? Some are really interesting, family friendly and wages fairly good with good pensions

Hi @fia101 I'm looking everywhere so I'll add the local council website to my list. My inbox is full of job alert emails!

If you can the risk of contract work getting a job in a council via an agency is a great way in. Usually made permanent but also you can see internally advertised jobs too with great opportunities

I didn't retrain as such - I got pregnant unexpectedly and had DS at 20 so spent a long time working retail. I did my law degree with the OU and graduated last summer.

I'm a paralegal in a local fairly big (as far as local firms go) firm in corporate. Always thought I'd like family law but I don't and I don't enjoy conveyancing. Family law is struggling in a fair few firms due to the increase in online services becoming available and most smaller firms don't need qualified solicitors for conveyancing as they can use conveyancers and pay a lower salary. The salaries aren't as impressive in local firms (I am on just over £20k now and our trainees start on £21k, newly qualifieds start on around £30k) but every department in our firm has a great work life balance. Most of the partners are parents and they're prepared to be flexible and it's definitely flagged up and noticed if you're working extra hours because it's not the norm at the firm I'm at. In fact, the building gets locked an hour after our finish time and you can only stay if a partner is working late. It's not always the case that it has to be antisocial if you aren't in London or a big city.

I'm doing my LPC paired with masters which means I get a £10,000 post-grad student loan which covers most of it. I'm not sure what help is available for the GDL but it's worth looking at all funding options as opposed to fighting for a place in firms that will fund you.

I think law is a bit marmite and if you do it just for money it's not worth it but you sound like you enjoy it and I personally don't regret doing it at all. I love my job even on the more stressful days. I'm worried about training contracts as they are competitive but nowhere near as much as pupillages. Plus I've found firms much more receptive given I'm 29 instead of fresh out of uni and I've been told the fact I'm a parent and likely to stay in the area works in my favour in terms of my chances of a training contract at the firm I'm with after my LPC.

I work I estate agency, in the last 6 months I’ve needed to stay past my contracted hours once and take home 3k after tax. Which I don’t think is too shabby at 27...
There are people on a lot more than me too.

Its an easy role to get into
Conveyancing seems mind numbing from what I’ve heard from conveyancers.
I’ve several friends who went down the legal path and initially at least it was getting to work at 7 and leaving at 9.