Part-time litigation work - is it possible?

[MidnightBlush]

Are there any private practice lawyers working (and enjoying) a three day work week out there?

I am currently working in-house full-time, several years pqe. I have missed private practice work (litigation) since the day I left, but my current job is very family friendly - zero stress, work 9-5 with no targets, and the pay is comparable to private practice. The problem: extreme boredom. The work I currently do is terribly, terribly boring with no scope for it to become less boring and no scope for real development.

I am considering a return to private practice but I cannot fathom working the hours I used to (60-80 hour weeks). DCs are 5 and 1. They are my top priority, so am not prepared to roll the dice on whether I get to see them around a new job.

What do we think? Is it possible to be a three day a week litigation solicitor in London, on a decent six figure salary?

Believe me it doesn't work!

Tried as part of a job share too and that was even worse!!

I was going to say the same really - can't see how it can work. Perhaps look for a more interesting in house role.

Oh no! Dare I ask if you’re still in private practice? If so, did you just plump for full time and full pay?

I’m just not convinced that interesting in house roles exist, but perhaps I should shop around.

I think 3 days would be impossible in litigation. I do know some who just about make it work with 4 days.

But honestly, I work full time in litigation for a US firm in London and I find it completely manageable with my kids (6 and 3.5). I do have to log on and work after they’re asleep quite often but I find that working full time means I have a bit more flex within the work day, and at least with litigation deadlines are a bit more predictable.

I know I would find in-house deadly boring too and, much more importantly, my husband earns very little so I need to bring in the cash! So I’ve just always had to make it work.

Interesting in-house work definitely exists! Are you in a generalist role now or in-house litigation?

I found it worked when my kids were little and going to bed before 7:30pm, but once they were over 10yo, with more commitments in the evening plus homework and a later bedtime, it just became too hard for me - I couldn't pick up the laptop and do a couple of hours from 9:30 / 10pm in the same war I could from 8pm when they were younger.

I tried a job share but we both needed the same thing - daytime work- and it was hard. So I ended up in-house. DEATHLY dull. But what I need.

No I found a great part time/term time only in house role where I could also instruct external lawyers.

I work in-house and find it really interesting but my role has a nice mix of contentious and non-contentious so quite a bit of variety - I don't do any corporate.

In my area no one is able to work less than 4 days. I had someone working for me who did three days, they were great at handovers but I still found that I would have to step in as deal with urgent matters arising on their transactions every time they weren't in, which meant that effectively I was carrying everything. I think 3 days is very difficult for transactions or litigation but others may have been able to make it work.

This is a rare example where they managed to make it work - and I think they are now partners - but it’s obviously a pretty unique situation as depends on finding your exact equivalent and a very supportive firm. Seems they basically operate as one person.

www.stewartslaw.com/news/francesca-berry-and-karen-hutchinson-senior-associates-career-story/

This is so very relatable and sorry the job share didn’t work out!

Wow term time only is a real find, well done on making that happen! Reassuring to know term time legal roles are out there

This is also really so encouraging to hear, because I distinctly remember a moment in time where I thought it could be possible when my eldest was little. Like you, I found full time much easier to manage. Do you mind if I ask what your billable targets are, and if you have to give up weekend day times?

In a similar situation being main breadwinner, and so realistically cannot take too big a pay cut.

Thank you for the hope!

@MidnightBlush im not at one of the sweatshop firms - bonus target is 1750 and then additional bonus kicks in at 1950. Both of those include 100 hours of non-billable though (50 compulsory pro bono plus other bd and training etc).

I occasionally have to respond to an email over the weekend but have only had to properly log on and work 1 weekend in the 2 years I’ve been here. I was at a magic circle firm before this and worked much harder for significantly less money.

There are occasional crunch points when my DH is away but I’m glad I’ve stuck it out. Things might change later on though!

This sounds absolutely fantastic - if I could land a private practice job like that, I would snap it up! I’m happy for you to have found this, and ventured away from magic circle on more money 🙂 thanks for sharing your experience, really encouraging to hear. I will start shopping around with recruiters.

I think the thing to avoid is 4 days a week, where you take a pay cut but don't end up with less work (particularly if you're senior and have your own client base). Particularly galling when bonuses etc are a percentage of salary.

Watching this thread!

If you end up going FT in private practice, could you look into more outsourced help at home, so when you are there with the kids you're fully present & enjoying them? Xx

Outsourcing help absolutely makes sense but was the trickiest part for me - if I earned enough I would
do this. However, I previously took a big pay cut to work in a firm with low targets (1500) and a good work life balance. I ended up working 80 hour weeks on a huge arbitration (as did everyone else) for months on end but was only earning £120k which isn’t really enough to cover the extra help you need when working those sorts of hours (eg cleaner more than 1 x week, or ordering lots of easier to cook healthy food). Unless on £200k+, with a mortgage and London nursery fees, you just end up paying mostly to work when working those sorts of hours. It didn’t make sense for me unless I could put something meaningful into savings each month.

Completely agree, was burned by this when returning from maternity leave!