Training as a solicitor / working full time as a mum

[Motherofking]

I have just completed my Masters in Law, I have done a few vacations schemes and opens days and i am planning to apply for training contracts. I have a 1 and a half year old so no plans to look for training contracts in city law firms , Just international law firms, national and regional firms which offer a better life work balance. Can someone give me tips on how i can manage a full time job and be a full time mum . I will put my son in nursery but i want us to spend alot of time together, i dont want to spend the only hours i have at home cleaning or cooking id rather spend it with him ?

And another question, alot of training contracts give you the job two / three years in advance, For example if i get the job in 2022 my start date will be 2024 or 2025. Would it be a bad idea to get pregnant and have a baby within that gap. I really want another baby especially because once i start my career i dont want to have any more babies. I just want to keep working until i am established enough within my career without any breaks or interruptions.

[quote Motherofking]@JumperandJacket Thank u , I have seen that post and have done an internship with the firm and intend to apply[/quote]
I've worked a lot with Kennedy's through my line of work. They're really nice people

@Motherofking Crime is an awful area of law to get into if you want to make any money and have a work/life balance. It's where I started off before (by sheer luck and my background) I transitioned into white collar litigation. I would not recommend it unless you have a true passion for it or use it a stepping stone into "quasi-crime".

Immigration and family law are also horrendous areas of law to get into if you want to keep your sanity.

Stick with "clean", non-contentious areas of law for an easier life. Property, construction, even corporate (it doesn't have to be high-pressured M&A stuff). If you do corporate you will always be able to move in-house. Employment is also good for in-house roles

I have no knowledge of this, but have been fascinated by the thread. There is so much talk of corporate work, international business deal, time zones etc.

Does no one train to be a high street solicitor? You know, wills, house purchases, perhaps divorces? Surely these type of lawyers only work 9 to 5?

Op you have self funded £10,000s worth of study. Multiples actually
How?’I have read about your marriage and you are in a very bad place. Is this going to get you even more in debt if you look to further self fund ?

@lentilsforever

Op you have self funded £10,000s worth of study. Multiples actually How?’I have read about your marriage and you are in a very bad place. Is this going to get you even more in debt if you look to further self fund ?

How do you think most people find these things? They get into huge amounts of debt. That is, unfortunately, standard now.

*fund

Yes
But given the vast sums already spent
Given being in a very negative relationship
And the plan to do yet more very expensive self study with no real plan in place

I’d been very nervous

@Whichcatthatcat

I have no knowledge of this, but have been fascinated by the thread. There is so much talk of corporate work, international business deal, time zones etc.

Does no one train to be a high street solicitor? You know, wills, house purchases, perhaps divorces? Surely these type of lawyers only work 9 to 5?

I'd personally be surprised if anyone starting out at uni wanted to do conveyancing but given how competitive law is, there will be lots of people who fall into that sort of work and stay there.

I do conveyancing and I have a friend who does wills and probate.

I wanted to do family law but I get terribly nervous talking in front of large groups.

I doubt any area of law is 9-5 now but because I do a technical role, SDLT holidays aside I generally work my contracted hours.

@lentilsforever

Op you have self funded £10,000s worth of study. Multiples actually How?’I have read about your marriage and you are in a very bad place. Is this going to get you even more in debt if you look to further self fund ?

Hardly!

It's one degree that everyone gets loans for, then a one year conversion course that costs around £12k, which you get loans for if you do the masters add on.

@Whichcatthatcat

I have no knowledge of this, but have been fascinated by the thread. There is so much talk of corporate work, international business deal, time zones etc.

Does no one train to be a high street solicitor? You know, wills, house purchases, perhaps divorces? Surely these type of lawyers only work 9 to 5?

Some people end up high street solicitors but it's rarely what people want to do as the money is terrible

I think you will struggle to do the training and the job with young children unless you have someone else to look after them.

There are some firms and jobs where you can work flexible hours which IME tend to be bulk legal places, conveyancing etc, but having the children doesn't mean you can fully focus on your career unless you have a lot of support.

Most larger firms don’t do crime or immigration apart from maybe white collar crime and immigration for people with high net worth. In my experience people who work in those areas do it as a vocation. I have huge admiration for them but it is completely different to being a commercial lawyer and I couldn’t do it myself. It also isn’t family friendly at all - criminal solicitors will often have to attend the police station in the middle of the night.

At our firm they always need more people in real estate (which isn’t residential conveyancing but involves large property developments and transactions), construction, tax, data protection, banking, finance and funds type areas and some niche regulatory areas. This will vary by type of firm and area.

I’m not saying that you should pretend to be interested in something you’re not but it’s worth exploring a wider range of areas and at least seeming open to them at interview.

I made the mistake at interview at one firm of showing a lot of interest in an area where they had a tiny practice which was not profitable for them. I didn’t get the job.

This should also give you a better idea of what sort of firm you might be interested in. I thought early in my career that I wasn’t interested in business (a bit of a handicap for a commercial lawyer) and went to a firm which did a lot of private client work. I realised that I didn’t particularly like dealing with individuals and wasn’t even going to be paid enough to put two children in nursery for the hours I would need unless I made partner. I now work in a very commercial area but find the law more interesting so it’s worked out fine.

Your second language might be useful at some firms in some areas so think about that. I’ve known trainees with fluent French, Mandarin or German get great opportunities at my firm.

@lentilsforever genuine question but what are you doing with your life ? Are you educated ? Do you have a career? You keep going on and on about the amount spent but a lot of people in this profession and most professions have spent this money to study . No one becomes a lawyer for free. Either way even if I decide to not become a lawyer I have my history degree and my law degree they are so many doors open for me . Your starting to sound very jealous and bitter throughout this thread . It’s embarrassing to read.

@burnoutbabe

She’s done a three year undergraduate degree
And a masters

Do your sums

[quote Motherofking]@lentilsforever genuine question but what are you doing with your life ? Are you educated ? Do you have a career? You keep going on and on about the amount spent but a lot of people in this profession and most professions have spent this money to study . No one becomes a lawyer for free. Either way even if I decide to not become a lawyer I have my history degree and my law degree they are so many doors open for me . Your starting to sound very jealous and bitter throughout this thread . It’s embarrassing to read.[/quote]
Accountant

History degree
ACCA

My point about all the money you have spent is that you have posted freely about the dire relationship you are in
And you seem to have no plan before starting this thread and lots of very basic things have been “news” to you
And now you’re saying more self funding

So if you’re In a dire relationship
And your partner will be funding
Then you will be very vulnerable if the relationship collapses, which according to your other threads seems highly likely

[quote lentilsforever]@burnoutbabe

She’s done a three year undergraduate degree
And a masters

Do your sums[/quote]
But none of those are self funded, all via student loans as far as I can tell?

(I have just self funded a second degree in law and an llm so £30k cost but I am doing it for interest and happy to pay as I had the cash - no funding for undergraduate possible but I could have got a masters loan but 6% interest rates were far higher than my savings rates)
-also an accountant so can do my sums :-)

Definitely read all of these and they have been interesting and helpful. Thank you . I had a think about it last night. I will apply for firms who offer the sqe route instead and if I don’t get any offers then I will self funding the sqe1. Then get a paralegal job to qualify for the qualifying work experience and possibly if I’m lucky be able to have my employer fund the sqe2. If not then I’ll just have to save up and self fund that too. I believe this is a better option for me . I don’t want to be waiting years for a training contracts. Then once qualified I will look for the family friendly firms that someone in this thread suggested or maybe do in house. I will see what works for me.

Loans
Means self funded!

* Then get a paralegal job to qualify for the qualifying work experience and possibly if I’m lucky be able to have my employer fund the sqe2*

Sensible

@lentilsforever my partner will be supporting his child regardless of the relationship. This has nothing to do with this thread. I am currently in therapy however if my relationship ends then that has nothing to do with my goals . I will still go on to achieve the career I want to.

@lentilsforever self funded means I will pay for it myself . I am not able to get a loan for the sqe. Maybe you should know what the post is talking about before you choose to comment . You sound very ignorant on the topic overall