Don't want to be a solicitor any more - but what else?

[sohackedoff]

Hi. I'm a solicitor who got made redundant (worked in property, so the recession was the death of it!) but now need to get back to work. I definitely don't want to work as a solicitor again, even in another field. Has anyone managed to retrain successfully? Any suggestions would be gratefully received. Thanks.

Mmm, sounds good. Not sure partners here would be that accommodating... but maybe! Look forward to an update 6 months down the line!

Hi there, I was looking for a change of direction as well, I have just qualified as a teacher but due to all the cuts there's little out there. Anyway I came across www.mumpreneurs.biz and have been working with them building my own business. I only work around 10 hours a week so it can give you options to do other things or look around for what you might want to do. I'm really enjoying it - especially the diversity of people I'm working with and being in control of my hours and life - and not least earning some money at last. Let me know if you'd like me to tell you more you never know it might be something for you as well?

Hi there, I was looking for a change of direction as well, I have just qualified as a teacher but due to all the cuts there's little out there. Anyway I came across mumpreneurs and have been working with them building my own business. I only work around 10 hours a week so it can give you options to do other things or look around for what you might want to do. I'm really enjoying it - especially the diversity of people I'm working with and being in control of my hours and life - and not least earning some money at last. Let me know if you'd like me to tell you more you never know it might be something for you as well?

What kind of business seslawrance?

Hi ladies,
really interested to read your posts! I am a solicitor but haven't practised in years. Left at 1year pqe and have been in legal publishing for about 11 years plus. I am now a freelance writer and editor. I wouldn't necessarily recommend writing as a lucrative profession: journalism is incredibly hard to break into. I have a regular 'gig' for a legal magazine, but other than that it's tough to find work, despite having years and years of legal publishing experience under my belt!
I do come across a lot of female lawyers who ask me how I got into it etc.
One way into it is to try one of the biggerlegal publishers such as Jordans or Butterworths etc.
If you are interested in writing, another thing worth doing is starting your own blog...

I know how it feels, I'm at home with my youngest and wasn't at all sure what to do. Despite being a well paid IT consultant I just couldn't face the whole 40 hour week stuck in an office life... leaving my children all day with someone else.

A friend introduced me to an amazing company and now I work flexible hours from home and have the family life I always wanted. The sky's the limit really..... all the training is provided, with the team, with the company, on-line...fantastic

I'd say to anyone find a successful and established network marketing company who have a proven track record and a great product. Do your research, buy the product and try it, if you don't like it move on.....check out the training and support, if they have the Investors in People award then this is a great start... look at how you get paid, will it give you an income even when you're not working and a residual (pension-style) income ?

Speak to other people in the company and listen to how they got started....then just go for it.......what have you got to lose ???? You will look back and wonder why no-one ever explained network marketing to you before!!

I was a senior software engineer, happily working from home for 10 years until the company was taken over by a Chinese company that promptly transferred all development work out of the UK. That was several years ago. Redundant and over-50 is not a good combination for anyone working in software development. I have a BSc and an MSc, so can't do any formal retraining unless I pay for it - and the redundancy package comprised the legal minimum, so I can't afford it. When I apply for jobs outside the field (like admin work) I'm explicitly told that I'm over-qualified. No wonder my DD and DS keep asking me what's the point of going to Uni if it leaves you unemployable...

Belatedly - much of what many posters have said is familiar to me from observation of friends' firms. However, I don't think that working in law has to automatically be non-family friendly. Fundamentally I think it comes down to having a firm (i.e. the equity partners) that can see beyond the pure numbers on profits (how big a yacht etc) and are interested in creating and maintaining a decent place to work. Despite what some City practices seem to believe, it is not necessary to have billable hours targets of 1700+ in order for senior partners to take home high six figures.

I'm extremely lucky to work in such a place - 8yr PQE in a niche firm in the City and have just been made partner having come back from maternity leave just over a year ago. I work 4 days across 5 - i.e. I am in the office for part of every day but only full days on two days. I do quite a bit of inbox management on the train etc. but not an undue amount of working from home. I certainly do more than 80% of standard target hours, but then when I worked FT I did more than 100% of the target, so there you go.

I do completely appreciate that I am fortunate in my working environment. However, as well as the basic human decency of the senior partners there are some cold economic forces at work - my firm is at least 50% women and given the highly technical nature of the work they simply can't afford to put people off coming back after maternity leave, so are much more open to PT and flexible arrangements than other places. If we could only get to that tipping point in the balance of power in more places we could really get somewhere, but it's completely chicken and egg of course.

I also agree with what someone said earlier - things are considerably easier if you have built up a good internal reputation within your firm. Of course, also easier if your management are not misogynistic imbeciles who think that lap dancing clubs are an acceptable form of client hospitality - I honestly thought things like that were all urban myths...

I'm in a different profession but we have similar problems and widespread dissatisfaction especially with the career-children balance. Some friends retrained - spending thousands of pounds and years of life, only to realise the horrible truth about work;

There are two types of jobs:

• boring jobs that pay well. e.g professional ones at £35+ per hour.
• boring jobs that pay badly. e.g non-professional/self-employment at £7 ph.

Lawyer friends who have moved out of property have changed to employment law and divorce law as both fields are doing well at present - they are enjoying self-employment from home and dont have the pressure of targets/timesheets.

Another lawyer that got out before I lost my sanity. My problem is that I tried to retrain to do something I love and am good at - but now I have half a degree as I can't afford to keep going. The banks will not lend to me for the tuition fees for a second degree due to the recession and my property has dropped by 25% so I can't easily sell it to finance myself.

To be honest I would do any job at all. Overqualified for McDonalds but no real skills other than law. I can't see myself getting back into law as I have had 4 years out and there are so many good solicitors looking for jobs with recent experience. The economic crisis is just so f*kg s*t hard for everyone, but there are days I think life is really not worth it.

Don't say that, SkinnedAlive - surely it's not that bad? Not trying to be glib or facile, and I think that the current financial situation is v scary, to the extent that I can hardly bring myself to watch the news at the moment - but have to believe it will get better. Hope things start looking up for you v soon.

Blimey SkinnedAlive, sorry things didn't go as you planned. Can you put your degree on hold and 'bank' what you've done for a year?

Have you thought about locuming or doing short term contracts? - good money and might help getting some more recent experience on your CV if you're trying to get back in. I had almost three years off and managed to get back in, albeit at a smaller firm. It's not impossible if that is what you need/want to do. Could you do p/t legal sec work to make some money alongside your degree?

Thanks everyone. That is a good idea to see about locuming though I am not sure If I am too specialist. It is worth a shot :) Anyone know which agencies are good? Also I am scots law qualified which was never a problem with city firms but may be for smaller ones! I am studying abroad and have a scholarship until Feb. I can take 2 years out which is good, after that I would need to start repeating subjects. I am pretty much 8am - 6pm most days then a few hours extra prep for next day - so although I do catsitting etc it is hard to have time to work. Also I do not speak the language well.

I have no family, so quite literally will be eating out of dustbins when my savings run out. No benefits here and owning the flat I doubt I am entitled to any benefits or help if I come back to the UK. No friends I can stay with or anything like that. I am trying to sell the flat at big loss, but nothing is moving. I will need to try to come back to the UK to work, but the scary thing is without help I have no idea where in the country to move to in order to get a job if I don't have one to go to. The recruitment consultants I have spoken to (who got me jobs in top US/top city firms) just say there is nothing in my area and given how long I have been out they are not confident. Any firms my CV has went to have not been interested. I have done project finance, energy work and most recently PSL work - so no fee earning for a while .

I gave up law to try to do something I loved. I have lost my legal career, my pets (I sold my horse to do this), my UK home, all my savings. I am doing something I am exceptional at and passionate about but will almost never finish :( If I get the flat sold it will keep me 12 months. I recently argued and lost my best friend, my cats are sick and this last 2 weeks my heating broke then my microwave and now my only shoes have holes and are letting in water. I came down with flu yesterday and in my exam today I had a mind blank and it did not go well. I was very badly abused as a child and will never have kids of my own or marry - I have not had a boyfriend or even been kissed in 15 years!!!!!!! All I really wanted was a career that was meaningful and had fulfillment even if I don't have a 'normal' private life.

Sorry this has turned into a real rant. I have been crying most of tonight. I know things get worse before they get better but I have really had it!!!!!!!!!!! I just want to lie down and never wake up. If it wasn't for the cats, then I doubt I would keep going. I just see no light at the end of the tunnel. I didn't like law but at least I had food to eat and a roof over my head. Its easy to forget how much I hated it though - aggggggggggggggggg

Hi I've never posted before but I wanted to say SkinnedAlive things will get better. It sounds like you are having a really rough time but if you qualified as a lawyer you must have been through tough exams and stress before so you know you can get through this too. Give yourself a big hug and then read some of the mumsnet classic threads - there is bound to be something in there to make you giggle x

Yes, you are right Wizzy - there are funny threads here Thanks you for replying :) Feel a bit better today (just work up [hshock]. I am going to see a photo exhibition with a friend and maybe look in the second hand shops for a haloween costume. I am catsitting so that is a bit of money for me too.

SOMEHOW I will get a job. I have the flat up for sale and am applying for UK jobs and jobs here, so at some point something will go right. It would be better to work in the UK and rent out the flat, then I will have rental income to come back to as well.

My degree is medically related. Does anyone have any idea how I could get into pharmactical law or contract work maybe inhouse for a pharma company? It may at least have some interest for me and I do know all about virology, bacteriology and drug trials etc so actually understand the work behind the contracts.

Hi, I've been reading with interest - I'm not in law, but I have a lot of friends who are, and who will be in similar dilemmas when they have their families.

Is it hard to set up a law firm? What occurs to me is that you all critique what's wrong so well - why what's stopping women lawyers from coming together, to create a business model for a firm with working conditions to suit them?

hi Skinned - sorry you are having such a crap time. I have recently been in a similar situation - ie I am a failed escapee. Am now compromising by taking a part time law job so I can fund what I really want to do.

In terms of where to get jobs - the Scottish law market is not brilliant - but the one area where there are jobs is energy - so you might be able to get something in that area. Nearly all advertised jobs are on S1 jobs - so you can sign up for alerts there. Also, in terms of Scottish agencies it's worth signing up for as many as you can - I think Hudson are pretty good - and worth trying Frasia Wright, Eden Scott and Hays. Also, S1 has jobs which don't go out to the agents - ie mainly in house roles.

I'm also told the London market is still buoyant - at least it was doing okay last year - so worth trying there.

Best of luck..

And MrsCog - could write you an essay on the hurdles of setting up your own practice - and how women I know who have done as you suggest still end up quitting - but baby is sleeping so I must sleep too!!

Ohh - thanks for the S1 link nanny choice. I tried Frasia Wright and got a really useless guy who didn't hold out any luck for me getting any job, though he put my CV forward to a few when I made him. I always used to deal with Frasia before but my marketability has obviously gone down!

Its hard to explain the big gap in my work careeer. I don't think law firms want to hear that I have attempted escape!!! And i have no kids I can pretend I took a career break for.

Maybe you should invent some children! seriously though I have found most agents in Scotland rather uninspired. I do like Jennifer at Hudson though. I think you should just be honest about the career gap - you might have to go back at a lower level initially.

Thanks - Nannychoice I will give her a call. I have said I am happy to go back in at NQ if that's what it takes, even though I have 10 years plus PQE and a Masters. I have not been in practice for a few years but someone could get top international experience very, very cheaply if they were prepared to give me a chance. Happy with inhouse, private practice and would do paralegal work just to get a job and be earning again to be honest. Even though I hate it, I know I am good at it and would promoted, get more responsibility etc very quickly. Just need a foot in the door!

No probs. If you are happy to go to London it might be worth trying Lawyers on Demand. www.lod.co.uk/

I know this is an old thread but it looks like new lawyers keep dropping by!

So I thought I would say that I know three ex-lawyers. One went into publishing. First spent three years doing sales, travelling around had a great time. Then went into editorial on a law list and is now the commissioning editor. Another went into local planning, and became a planning officer. Both took big pay cuts to change profession but are happier! Another took a long career break when her children were little and is now developing a baby product, successfully as far as I know.

There are also legal-related jobs in publishing, such as in rights, or in the legal departments. And someone has mentioned the same applies in local authorities. I can vouch for both being nice, family-friendly areas to work in where you feel like you're doing something tangible-ish.

I was also a solicitor (specialising in commercial law). Left the city when I was only 2years qualified and that was 8 years ago. Set up a successful business 6 years ago (in the construction industry of all things!). I have found the skills I learnt really useful and so wanted to let you all know that there are other ways to make a living outside law. I sometimes wax lyrical about what life would have been like if I had stayed - but to be honest, I didn't enjoy it because I was not given enough responsibility (so I got VERY bored!). I know that it is hard trying to imagine other careers when you are trained in law - but remember the skills you have acquired can be used in lots of different jobs. As for the money, I am lucky in that I now earn more than I did as a solicitor. It has been hard work but it is far more rewarding when you are completely in control and you only have yourself to answer to.