Revealed: The top 6 reasons to become a consultant solicitor at Setfords

At Setfords, we want to attract and retain the very best legal talent. There are a number of reasons for this, not least that the best talent is more productive than average. And efficient, effective service makes for happier clients. To learn how we’re doing as a company, we simply ask our consultant solicitors for their thoughts. Read on to find out more about working as a consultant at Setfords.

YOU WORKED HARD AT SCHOOL. You got good grades. You worked even harder at university. You got a good law degree (or converted). You worked hard through your traineeship. You achieved good progress as a solicitor. This led to you being piled high with files and responsibilities.

Working hard is part and parcel of a successful life, whatever field you choose. But there comes a time when you want to take full control of your whole life. After five or more years developing your legal career, it’s little wonder you want to step back and reconsider your options.

It costs a lot to become a lawyer.

Ditch the hamster’s wheel

Once you start thinking about it it’s difficult to stop. The knowledge and skills you’ve gained through studies and at work, mixed with your life experience, begin forming a heady cocktail of ideas. Ideas that include ditching the hamster’s wheel. Almost as soon as you’ve caught your breath, you begin to consider consultancy.

Support you can rely on

Becoming a consultant solicitor with Setfords has many advantages. With a support team of over 100 highly skilled people, and a network of over 600 other consultants working across the legal spectrum, everything you need is just an email or a call away.

Of course, you shouldn’t just take our word for the advantages of working with us. We’re happy for you to hear from those who have already decided the hamster’s wheel was not for them.

We surveyed all 450 of our consultants to discover why they chose to become consultants with Setfords. While money still matters – many earn more despite working fewer hours – our people enjoy a better work-life balance that money alone simply cannot buy.

The top six reasons for becoming a consultant solicitor with Setfords

Here are the top six reasons for becoming a consultant solicitor with Setfords, along with a smattering of comments from those who took part in our survey:

1. Time to pursue other passions

“I wanted to have some control, so I plan my days better. I now get to ski in the afternoons!”
– Faye Griffiths, Consultant Insolvency and Corporate Restructuring Solicitor

“I wanted the freedom and flexibility not offered with private firms I’d previously worked for.”
– Elizabeth Stocker, Consultant Family Lawyer

“I can go out on my bike at lunchtime if the mood takes me, collect the girls and go to the park on the way home. I will go and work in the Alps and spend the day cycling when I want.”
– Tom Mitchell, Consultant Commercial Employment Solicitor

2. More time with the family

“I wanted to be able to look after my grandchildren once a week and to have control of when I worked.”
– Carol Hill, Consultant Family Law Chartered Legal Executive

“I found the lack of flexibility, the negative attitude towards working from home, the difficulty in being able to take accrued holiday, the office politics, poor management of firms and seeing the persistent undervaluing and bad treatment of talented staff had made me lose all motivation for a job that I had once loved. Joining Setfords removed all of those problems, and I was able to find balance and rediscover my passion for doing a difficult yet rewarding job. Not only that, but I have workload that I am in control of, more time with the children and I am financially rewarded.”
– Andrew Thompson, Consultant Commercial Construction Law Solicitor

3. Work from anywhere

“Setfords allowed me to have a work-life balance, do the school runs, join the PTA and work the hours that suited me. It also allowed me to see my parents for impromptu coffee/lunch. Life’s too short.”
– Katerina Mavroudis, Consultant Family Lawyer

“I unfortunately did not know the true meaning of consultancy before being introduced to Setfords. Had I known I would have joined at least 3 years ago when I relocated.”
– Sue Cunningham-Sawyer, Senior Consultant Licensed Conveyancer

4. Financial reward

“I was generally dissatisfied being in a small niche practice with little room to progress and little connection between effort and financial reward.”
– Tom Mitchell, Consultant Employment Solicitor

“No slippery slope, arse kissing to become a partner. More clarity and confidence that I will be more fairly compensated against traditional law firms’ supposed meritocracies.”
– Ryan Hill, Consultant Residential Property Solicitor

5. Control of career

“I wanted to combine being self-employed and be a solicitor again. Thereby, increasing the financial reward and being self-reliant and self-sufficient. I work best under my own steam!”
– Charlie Hansell, Consultant Family Law Solicitor

“The traditional 9-5 was just not working for me to my active family. I much prefer to work the way I work now.”
– Cheryl Driscoll, Consultant Residential Conveyancing Lawyer

6. To decrease stress

“Freedom to plan out my day, week, months, year. Also, being able to choose when to work. Being able to work at my physical, emotional, intellectual optimal rather than having to ‘grind’ through the days.”
– Eunyoung Cho, Consultant Immigration and Employment Solicitor Advocate

“The thought of attending an office, having meetings and targets no longer appeals to me. The only goals I want to have are the goals I set myself. That relates to being able to provide brilliant client care services because my focus is on legal work, not all the other things related to being a head of department or lawyer in a law firm.”
– Kiran Dhaliwal, Consultant Chartered Family Law Legal Executive

Other findings

Our survey shows a whopping 98% consider consultancy has had a positive impact on their work-life balance.

This improvement is as good for our clients as it is for our people, as 92% say they are more productive as consultants.

Money matters

As we mentioned, money may no longer be people’s top priority. But it does still matter to most. 92% say the financial rewards of consultancy are better than traditional models.

Much of which alleviated concerns 58% had about becoming consultants in the first place.

The following shows in percentages the breakdown of reasons for choosing Setfords:

• Better technology – 25%
• Reputation – 19%
• Personal recommendations – 16%
• Setfords’ specialisation in my area – 16%
• Better website and marketing materials – 12%
• Financial arrangement scheme – 6%
• Geographic convenience – 6%

Other benefits you may wish to consider about Setfords:

• The largest and most established fee-share firm in the UK
• 360+ national lawyer network
• Most comprehensive support structure with 100+ staff
• Millions in work generated in-house for our lawyers
• Market-leading tech platform
• Award-winning model

Is consultancy for me?

If this has whet your appetite – and you have at least five years’ PQE and are UK-qualified – get in touch to find out more about becoming a consultant with the largest, most-established firm of its type in the UK. You’ll be joining a team that was created for lawyers to do their best work.

Call us on 0330 058 4011 or email [email protected].

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