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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to quit my job and retrain as a solicitor?

205 replies

Moobieboobie · 14/03/2015 20:56

Should I not? I hate my job (civil service) although fairly well paid and have always hankered after joining the legal profession. But, I am almost 40 and have three children would I even have a chance at getting a training contract? I can self fund the GDL and LPC, but would need to have a training contract in place once the qualifications are completed. Am I totally unrealistic as I will be competing with lots of young'uns!?

OP posts:
NeverHadHaveHas · 14/03/2015 22:21

Just properly read through the other responses - aren't we solicitors a happy, smiley, positive bunch Wink

Enough27 · 14/03/2015 22:24

Sorry OP, I agree with the others. I'm in-house at a regulator now and love it, but there are very few training contracts offered. I enjoyed my job at a magic circle firm in my twenties, pre children, but no way could I do it now.

I would never encourage my DDs to follow in my (and DH's) footsteps. Being a lawyer is over rated.

Tobyjugg · 14/03/2015 22:25

Getting a training contract can be very, very difficult. Start networking with every legal connection you can find ASAP is my advice. I worked with a woman who did this and took over a year to get a training contract.

If you work in a major practice the hours can be horrendous and not family friendly.

Enough27 · 14/03/2015 22:26

Having said that, all jobs are tough now. Teachers say they will never encourage their DCs to become teachers, doctors the same. Sad

Undecidedhousemove · 14/03/2015 22:31

But the demand for teachers & doctors is not waning rapidly! And less personal cost/risk. Isnt there funding even for some pgces?

fadingfast · 14/03/2015 22:31

I'm an employment lawyer and I would agree absolutely with everything Lunastarfish said above. I am extremely fortunate to have found a niche job with flexible hours, but these jobs are as rare as hens teeth in the legal sector. Pay in the regions is nowhere near as good as people assume it is. We often advise very mediocre HR managers who earn vastly more than we do and yet everyone assumes that all solicitors are paid really well. Those who earn good money are normally in the large corporate city firms and have to work extremely hard for that money. The pressures are huge. Job satisfaction (as you may have gathered) is very low.

pettyprudence · 14/03/2015 22:47

OP I have been having the exact same thoughts, I am early 30s with young children and I really want a new career now. I currently do, what I think to be the equivalent of, very basic paralegal work within my current and previous role and would like to take that further. My initial thoughts are specialising in Landlord and Tenant law but I am open to other areas. BUT I know from my friends experiences it's really really really hard to get a training contract. I am hoping age and experience will actually be a benefit here. My biggest worry is money - I don't have the cash to pay for the GLD or LPC and I can't afford to take the pay cut to get a paralegal job (and experience) until the smallest one starts school (in 2.5 years) even if I can scrape the money together for the qualifications. And then I realise I will be close to 40 by the time I hopefully qualify and earning the same as I do for my mediocre job now and get massively down heartened.

Callooh · 14/03/2015 23:00

This reply has been deleted

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Smarterthantheaveragebeaver · 14/03/2015 23:30

What area of law are you thinking of working in once you qualify, OP?

Family? Commercial? Real Estate? Private Client? PI?

claraagain · 14/03/2015 23:34

it's not as though the civil service is a walk in the park so you'll be used to working hard.

I think that very much depends of what department you work in and what you do.

Original poster
Moobieboobie · 14/03/2015 23:57

I am sadly one of the few hardworking civil servants:-) Recent cuts, significantly reduced resources and staff morale has meant the job is no longer what it was. There is an expectation to now do double the amount of work with no increase in salary and promotion prospects are minimal. Yes, they are 'flexible' but to what cost, I regularly work 60+ hours per week in order to get the job done. The end result is I have come to not only resent but absolutely hate my working environment. The civil service is not what it used to be, thus my conclusion was that the legal profession cannot be worse.........

OP posts:
Original poster
Moobieboobie · 14/03/2015 23:59

I ruled out teaching as an option ages ago due to the salary reduction as a NQT - lots of options have been considered and discarded!

OP posts:
Plarail123 · 15/03/2015 00:14

Do you have a final salary pension Moobie? If you do, do not give that up under any circumstances, it is worth way more than earning more as a lawyer. Can you try and move roles within your Department.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 15/03/2015 00:14

An employment lawyer I know said that if she was doing it all again she'd go into HR because the money is just as good but she feels she would be more effective there. She'd get to be positive rather than just trying to limit the damage where other people have done a really bad job.

At work now I see huge numbers of part qualified and fully qualified lawyers applying for jobs outside the law because they just can't get a training contract.

Have you considered moving out of the civil service into private consultancy/professional services related to the civil service? Maybe Public or Government Sector Audit? You'd still be working towards a professional qualification but it would be quicker than law.

Aridane · 15/03/2015 07:14

TBH - unless you are astonishingly outstanding, you are unlikely to get a gaining contract. Sorry for the negativity...

cleanmachine · 15/03/2015 07:23

I left commercial law a few years ago to retain. Life as a lawyer was exhausting, full of office politics targets and deadlines. I missed my kids and felt unchallenged by the workload. Only do it if you absolutely love law. Don't do it to escape a difficult job.

londonrach · 15/03/2015 07:34

Please rethink. Dh has been made reduntant twice. I know loads who cant get a training contact. Its an area that got too many people in and the salary is awful. Dh was on £16 k living in london! Dh got told he was lucky they paying him. Unless you a partner or in a big firm the pay you been shocked at the pay.

SlipperyLizard · 15/03/2015 07:35

I'm another lawyer who would advise against it unless you can get a firm to offer a training contract/pay course fees. The bottom has dropped out of the employment law market due to tribunal fees, and so I wouldn't recommend that as a practice area.

If you self fund then the GDL and LPC together will be in excess of £20k and neither will teach you any transferable skills - if you don't get a training contract it would be totally wasted.

If you can find a training contract with a major player then it might pay off in the end - but most law firms are not happy places to work in my experience.

NiceAcorns · 15/03/2015 07:36

Another "don't do it" message. I'm the head of a Property Dept & haven't had a pay rise since 2008.

We are ever more regulated and expected to do more & more, take on greater risk for less & less reward.

Clients are more demanding & less understanding of what we do.

Buddy80 · 15/03/2015 07:39

I was in law, I guess I was "lucky" that I could make a decent living out of it, but I started nearly 15-years ago. I would not go back, in fact see my other post about re-training Smile.

If you are interested in law, why not combine it with an area that requires law? For instance, get your law degree but work in Procurement, for instance?

Carterama · 15/03/2015 07:43

Sorry but yet another "no way"

The pay is not great, the hours are terrible, the threat of redundancy in almost all work areas is dreadful, lawyers are loosing their jobs and being replaced by young law graduates being paid minimum wage, because it's cheaper.

If you are determined the only advice I would give you is to look at qualifying via ILEx rather than doing an LPC because it's treated the same way these days, the pay is the same and you will have less debt as its a cheaper route.

Good luck but my advice would be to stick with your current job, the grass is not greener!

wearenotinkansas · 15/03/2015 07:54

Another solicitor here.

In your position I wouldn't go down the route of the GDl/ lpc and training contract. I would do for the apprenticeship route which has just been launched. Probably with a larger regional or second/ third tier london firm. The law society website has details.

I would also absolutely avoid the city if you have 3 young kids. It's not the total hours but the unpredicatabilty which is the real problem when you are a trainee ( or even partner). I am actually going back into private practice after 4 years in house after my youngest was born. I have negotiated part time hours but for a firm that does smaller deals or for individuals. The real problem is where you have large transactions/cases and no control over deadlines.

GERTI · 15/03/2015 07:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

worriedmum100 · 15/03/2015 08:04

I'm going to go against the grain. I've been qualified 6 years. I also qualified late (mid 30s) and completed the GDL part time in the evenings. I then got a pupillage place with the Government Legal Service in a large Government department. I'm not sure if that's something you've considered because it's still civil service but it sounds like you'd be an excellent candidate as you'd really understand the policy context in which you'd be advising.

I managed to complete my pupillage without working ridiculous hours. I also had a baby the year after I qualified and then went back 3 days a week. It was hard work but perfectly manageable.

The pay as a pupil wasn't great but 2 years after qualification it went up to low 50s which was fine for me. The work in the GLS is unique and mostly really interesting and challenging. I did both advisory and litigation.

I've now moved out of central government but still work in the public sector work for a regulator and I love it. I do a mix of public law, human rights, contract, crime. The money is never going to be as good as the private sector but my work life balance is brilliant.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

florencedombey · 15/03/2015 08:18

Worried Mum, you say "the pay is never going to be as good as the private sector", but at 15 years qualified I earn less than you do! Many solicitors earn roughly the same as teachers but without the final salary pension scheme. The only big money is in commercial work.