to ask for help with a career change - calling former lawyers

[Jobsworthy]

Posting in AIBU for traffic. NC as about to give some potentially outing info. Please help me come up with some options for a career change.

I’m 31, just had my first baby and still on mat leave. I’m a senior associate in disputes in a City law firm and before she was born wanted to make partner. Now she’s here I can’t face the thought of going back to those hours and never seeing her.

I have a double first class English degree from Cambridge (plus law conversion etc) and no other work experience outside law apart from some private tutoring.

I’m also the main breadwinner. DH works a lot of hours in a rewarding career for around £30k, but we need £100k combined to continue to pay our mortgage, childcare in London etc.

I love writing and am very speedy at reading and processing info but otherwise feel I have few actual skills.

Appreciate this is a first world problem but I feel like everything I previously thought has changed and now just at sea. We can’t leave London because of DH’s work otherwise I think that would be the solution.

A quick Google search revealed this

Professional counseling. Bulwa says a new staff member at the school has a law degree and a counseling degree. ...

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution. ...

Development Agencies. ...

Government and politics. ...

Banking and finance. ...

Entrepreneur. ...

Academia. ...

Journalism or Writing.

Although it's unlikely those options will pay as much as your current job.

Have you considered working in the public sector as a lawyer?

I was going to suggest the public sector.

Have you read Michelle Obama’s autobiography? Probably no time with a new baby, but she did similar. She also worked at a university after she’d had the children.

Not a former lawyer but a current one. You say you can’t move but you could earn £70k at senior associate level at the larger regional firms and have a much, much better work life balance. I’m a senior associate (also a litigator) at a regional firm in the south east. I work full time but very flexibly around my 3 year old and my firm is very supportive of parents. You could look at moving somewhere within easy commuting distance of London if your DH needs to be there (and would benefit from lower housing and therefore mortgage costs too).

Those suggesting public sector lawyer, the salaries on offer in the public sector are nowhere near high enough. Think £55k for head of legal.

Find a smaller firm with flexibility as to how you work. With working from home technology I know lots of lawyers who work a couple of days a week from home and leave 530 ish to be home for evenings and then log back on for a few hours.

Another potential option is look at a PSL or Knowledge role which can pay a reasonable salary but doesn't demand the ridiculous hours that fee earning does.

Professional support lawyer in private practice?

Or leave private practice and work in house eg local authority / NHS?

Or go back to the city firm to see how it works out, before making any big decisions? Perhaps reduce to part time / work from home sometimes?

Explore Why you can’t you leave due to dh’s Job.
Moving to Manchester/Leeds etc would make it easier for you to earn a decent solicitor salary plus much cheaper mortgage and better life balance.

Move out of London, your mortgage will be lower as will childcare costs. No way would you need £100k to pay nursery fees and get a nice house.

There's a big difference to attitudes to work life balance in professions outside of the capital so if you like the work you could get better hours.

In-house in a large corporate

Our in-house lawyers work hard but never the kind of hours they did in their old city firms. Out in-house team is largely female, and supports flexible and PT working.

Can DH not commute to London? It seems crazy living in London when you have to pay a fortune for housing and childcare.

In house. In fact pm me if you’re genuinely interested.

I agree that the answer may well be to try a regional firm. Your DH will either have to commute or find something else. I’m not sure it’s entirely reasonable for you to be tied to London because of his job when he is only earning £30k and you are having to earn more to cover the higher living expenses.

Presumably you’re about 7 years PQE? You’d have no problem getting £70k in a commercial disputes role here (Oxford) but if your living expenses were less you’d have some scope to work PT?

You sound smart and able but to earn anything like the money you want you’re going to have to put serious time and effort into making your new career. So I think you still won’t be able to spend much time with your daughter. Your best option is a sideways move within the law. (Or leaving London because frankly your DH doesn’t earn enough to live there).

Somewhere like PLC while you consider your options? It used to pay pretty well (think mid-tier PSL rates) and provides a fair degree of flexibility. You could find out who runs the disputes service and give them a call.

A 'grade 7' [lower middle management] government lawyer in a central or major quango's government legal department would have no trouble starting on £60k, £70k might be available too but rarer.

I'd suggest an in house lawyer in a bank. I work on a bank trading floor and whilst not a lawyer myself, spend a lot of time working with our in house team. You could easily earn what you currently do now but with much more civilised hours.

I don’t want to put my career path on here as it would be extremely outing but I have had a very non-traditional legal career and could give you some insights as to where you could use your v transferable skills if you want to PM me

Teaching on the LPC (or whatever it’s called now)? I have a friend who made that change for similar reasons, job not as fulfilling but works with child care commitments etc.

Anyone I know in law who's had a baby has gone in house (or is seeking to). If I were you, that's what I'd do.

An actual career change would probably require starting at the bottom again. You're unlikely to command more than 25/30k as a starting point.

If you're keen to leave London, then you need a come to jesus moment with your DH.

He needs to be in London, yet he doesn't earn enough to sustain a reasonable lifestyle in London?!? It doesn't work unless you prop him up. You may not be willing to do this long term.

Magic circle senior associates/managing associates are on £130-180k? Maybe a bit more? So if you just need £70k to cover costs, could you not go down to 2.5 days?
Or what about moving into a role as a PSL or business development lawyer at the same firm if a possibility? They seem to do way less hours overall in roles like that than the fully client facing roles.

I’m baffled
Your husband works in london
Your husband works a lot of hours
Your husband is on £30k!!

When I first came to London as a 24 year olds 14 years ago I was on £30k! You need to utilise your skills to educate your dh re how to secure a pay rise!

When I first came to London as a 24 year olds 14 years ago I was on £30k! You need to utilise your skills to educate your dh re how to secure a pay rise!

It is certainly possible to be on so little. I know people in their 30s who work in the charity/arts sectors and are on less than 20k. They work a lot of hours too.

However, the DH's career essentially a hobby job (at least in London, but apparently it doesn't exist outside there). It doesn't come close to sustaining their lifestyle.

I’m sure the DH’s job is very rewarding and all that, but by forcing the family to stay in London, it’s effectively costing them as a family for DH to work...

If I were you I'd consider:
Approaching your current employer about part time/ flexible working
Going to an in house role
Lecturing/ teaching role
Consultancy
Moving out of London

Good luck!