Are you looking for a law firm that truly supports your ambitions, no matter what they may look like?
Welcome to Setfords, where we redefine what it means to practice law. We have more than 150 experts working behind the scenes to support our lawyers, so they have the freedom to focus on their clients and grow their practice on their terms. So, if you’re seeking a fresh direction, we offer the flexibility to design your career around your ambitions.
But, don’t just take our word for it. Hear from Senior Consultant Property Solicitor Sonal Rabheru about her career with Setfords and how our teams have helped her turn her ambitions into reality:
Sonal’s Journey to Setfords
Sonal was already a successful property solicitor when she joined Setfords, having been a partner at a local firm she’d been with for 16 years. However, she had reached a point in her career where she felt there was limited opportunity for further progression with traditional firms. Unsatisfied with the idea of moving to another firm that would only offer the same challenges, Sonal decided to explore a new path: consultancy with Setfords.
“I’d reached a point where I didn’t want to make a sideways move to another firm where I had high targets and pressure, so I looked into consultancy with Setfords instead. Consultancy wasn’t as popular then, so it was a bold step at the time. But I had various chats with them and decided to give it a shot. It’s worked out really well for me so there’s no looking back.”
Supporting Your Ambitions
At Setfords, it’s our support that really sets us apart from other firms. We support our lawyers in building their practices with admin, secretarial, marketing, business development, compliance, IT, and more – all provided at no extra cost. We understand that everyone is looking for something different from their consultancy role, and tailor our support to meet their needs and wishes. Alongside ultimate flexibility and freedom, with no office politics, pointless meetings, or billing targets, this is a recipe for success for ambitious consultants.
Some choose to cut down their hours to focus on work-life balance whilst earning equivalent to their traditional law salary, thanks to our fee-share arrangements. Others, like Sonal, choose to focus on building their businesses, taking on higher caseloads and assistants. This, coupled with far increased earnings and a high level of support, means even our most ambitious consultants have far more freedom than they would working endless hours in a traditional firm. Simply put, the choice is yours as a Setfords consultant, enabling you to build a life that works for you. Sonal says:
“I thought I would come to Setfords and wouldn’t do as much as before. However, I’ve found that I’ve actually gone the opposite way and I’m doing more, but getting rewarded financially for all the effort I’m putting in. My team has grown as well, I started off with one assistant and now I’ve got three which allows me to do what I’m doing.
I am still busy, so work quite long hours, however because of the flexibility and autonomy I can do whatever I want, like wake up later in the day, or take a longer lunch break. I’m just not accountable to anyone, so I’ve definitely got a better work-life balance than I did previously. And it’s my choice to work this hard, nobody is telling me to take on all this work. I’m just doing it because I want to, as opposed to somebody telling me I need to meet high targets.
Life at Setfords has been great for me because of the flexibility and the fact I’m not accountable to anyone, so I don’t have any targets to meet, I don’t have to time record, I can just do my job. That’s what I became a solicitor for.
Another thing to mention is the support I get. From IT, from marketing, from business development, to accounting, honestly the support here has been amazing. I’m really lucky that I joined when I did, and for me it’s been fantastic.”
Considering Consultancy?
Finally, Sonal has some words of wisdom to share for anyone who might be considering consultancy themselves:
“If you are ready to become your own boss, it’s a great thing to do. It takes away all the stress of running your own firm because you’ve got everybody here that’s dealing with the accounts, lender panels, and all the other stuff you’d have to do. Yes, you could have your own firm, but you’d probably find you actually didn’t do much work because you’d be dealing with all the admin and everything else. This allows you to get on with your job while everyone else takes care of the stress of running your own firm.”
Why Setfords?
At Setfords, we empower our lawyers to:
- Work flexibly: With total autonomy, you can tailor your schedule to fit your lifestyle.
- Focus on what matters: Our support teams handle administrative tasks so you can look after your clients.
- Achieve your potential: Whatever your ambitions, benefit from our marketing and business development teams to help you get there.
- Earn more: Our fee-share model rewards your hard work, earning beyond what you’d expect in a traditional firm.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your legal career with a firm that truly supports your ambitions, we’re here for you. If you’re a UK-qualified lawyer with 5 or more years of PQE, please get in touch for a confidential conversation today.
