Why learning about the lives of consultant lawyers makes me more sure than ever that we need more of them

Greater rewards, less pressure, less politics

Head of Real Estate Tom Flatau spoke about turning down equity partnership for consultancy because he wanted to work for great clients, without the pressure and responsibility you get working in a management role within a traditional firm. For Tom, billing targets are a thing of the past and that means less stress even though, as he points out, the rewards can be substantial (Setfords lawyers earn up to 80% of what they bill). Tom also explained how office politics no longer holds him back from putting his own ideas into action. Nearly every lawyer I speak to has a story like this. By working for themselves they leave behind a lot of the white noise you find in office life, where the internal machinations become a distraction from doing the actual legal work they love.

Time for your family (and your pets)

In her interview, Head of Family Joanna Abrahams mentioned she walks her dog, drops her children at school, and then starts work. Straight away we have two examples of how consultancy allows lawyers the flexibility to not only do their jobs but enjoy a family life as well. Home-working makes it that much easier to do things like the school run or have an animal that requires attention. You manage your hours and your clients. Where and when you work is entirely up to you.

Time for your passions

For some lawyers, consultancy also means more time for them to pursue their passions. Litigator John Newell, who counts Kevin Keegan amongst his clients, spoke of how he is now able to easily juggle a successful legal career with his love of rowing, finding space in his week to take a sculling course at Marlow. This is not unusual – many consultants tell how they have been able to indulge their passions and make a very good living. If your clients are getting a great service, do you think they care you spent the morning on the water or perhaps flying a light aircraft in the afternoon?

Better relationships with clients

With so many lawyers enjoying a happier life it is easy to forget the great benefits this way of working has for our clients. But it is actually at the heart of the consultancy offering. By removing targets and freeing up our lawyers to focus on the legal work, they can devote more quality time to those that matter most, their clients. Licensing lawyer Caroline Matthews is a good example. Caroline explained how being a consultant gives her the freedom to invest time in her relationships with her clients, without having to worry about always billing for it. In her line of work relationships are everything and where before she might have felt the pressure of targets, that feeling is now long gone. I love stories like this. Who knows better how to manage their clients? The lawyer? Or the managing partner that believes every second one of their lawyers spends building a relationship with a client should somehow be billed for?

We need more consultants

Reading these interviews has made me more sure than ever that we need more consultant lawyers – both for the good of the legal industry and for the people they are serving. Happier lawyers mean happier clients. Both myself and my business partner, Guy Setford, strongly believe that. And when I read about how our consultants are enjoying more satisfying working lives and more nourishing personal lives, I am further convinced this really is a better way of working. Everybody wins. And the more lawyers who can enjoy this way of working, the better.

Find out more about becoming a consultant lawyer or if you’re ready to take the next steps please get in touch here.

Read all of the previous A Day in my Legal Life blogs below:

• Tom Flatau, Setfords consultant & Head of Real Estate
• David Taylor, Setfords consultant
• Nigel Cragg, Setfords consultant & Head of Personal Injury
• Matthew Barrett, Setfords consultant
• Anne Thomas, Setfords consultant
• Caroline Matthews, Setfords consultant