It was reported in last week’s Law Society Gazette that more & more senior associates are defecting from private practice to work in-house. Why? Work/life balance of course.
This report probably reflected new year resolutions to re-balance life, to try & claw back a bit of personal time and space without compromising being a solicitor.
And having worked in-house & in traditional private practice, I can appreciate the allure of working in-house. No time sheets, targets, or partners’ meetings; and only one client. Moving in-house can certainly remove any disenchantment and lack of motivation within private practice, but I am not convinced the grass is any greener.
It doesn’t overcome the desire for control over your working life that increases with seniority. Nor, on most occasions, does it remove the commute to the office. Quite often it doesn’t increase salaries, either.
Only having one client can seem appealing, but in my personal experience that can wear off pretty quickly. The variety of work isn’t always there either, and without the demands of different clients dare I say it can become a little boring.
There are senior associates who view going in-house as an alternative to striking out on their own, because that’s a pretty drastic move just because you’re fed up in private practice. But a specialist with a good following seeking more control, would be more suited to consultancy. The commitment to working full time remains, without having to go it alone. Just think, no commute but not having to deal with the compliance that comes with running your own firm. Bliss!
Becoming a consultant doesn’t mean compromising on income. It can mean an increase if you’re still happy to work hard. However the increased autonomy, control and independence is the ultimate reward.
It seems a real shame to be financially and professionally stable, yet unable to enjoy both at the same time without compromise. At Cognitive Law you can realise both dreams. If you would like to find out more about how you can keep those New Year Resolutions alive for longer than a couple of months, please do get in touch with us for a chat, Call us on 0333 400 4499 or visit our join us page here.
lucy.tarrant@cognitivelaw.co.uk