Twenty years into a career as a partner in traditional firms, Alastair Sinclair, Senior Consultant Family Solicitor at Setfords, found himself doing everything except the job he’d trained for. Running offices, managing issues that had nothing to do with his practice area, keeping the business ticking over: somewhere in it all, the law itself had taken a back seat. It was the pandemic, with a rare chance to pause and reflect, that finally gave him the space to ask whether there was a better way to work. Enter Setfords.
A New Way of Working
Alastair spent 20 years as a partner in traditional firms, most recently running an office in West Sussex. It was the pandemic that gave him space to reconsider how he was working.
“Covid was a time that caused everyone to pause for a minute and think about what they were doing, how they were doing it, why they were doing it.”
Partnership, he found, pulled him away from the reason he’d become a lawyer in the first place.
“If you’re a partner in a firm, the issue becomes doing the law (the thing you actually qualified to do) while running offices and dealing with issues that have nothing to do with your practice area at the same time.”
Alastair already knew of Setfords, though he’d only come across conveyancing solicitors before. A conversation with someone at the firm changed that impression – we have hundreds of lawyers across all major practice areas – and prompted the move.
Finding His Way to Law
Alastair’s early working life brought him into courts and police stations in a support role, and it was there that he first realised law was something he could do for a living. He trained via the conversion course at the College of Law in Guildford and, once qualified, worked across crime, family law and civil litigation.
Long-term, Alastair gravitated towards family law, drawn to the human side of the work.
“I like family law because I like the human interest in it. I like learning about people’s lives and having a real impact on them. At the end of the day, what you’re trying to do is help people overcome significant problems so they can get on with the rest of their life.”
Settling Into Setfords
Alastair had concerns about leaving a role where he’d always had support around him.
“My worries with Setfords were many. In my previous way of practising, I had a secretary and people who could do things for me. My biggest fear was that I’d have to stand totally independent and do everything myself.”
Those worries didn’t hold up once he’d settled in.
“When I came to Setfords, I discovered that everything I’d previously had by way of support was here. It might not have been in the form of one person, but it was in the form of many other people.”
It took around six months to adjust, but the change paid off.
“After about six months, I was operating in a way that made me much happier than I’d previously been in work terms, because I could function, I could know people, and I could have the same good benefits I used to have, but at my own behest.”
Looking back, Alastair has no doubts about the move.
“I made the change and I haven’t regretted it. If anything, it just gets better.”
Considering Consultancy?
If Alastair’s story sounds like the change you’re looking for, get in touch with our recruitment team today for a confidential conversation about what life as a Setfords consultant could look like for you.
