How consultancy stopped me from quitting law

There was a time before discovering consultancy when I thought I’d give up law. Before long, I had new clients, a new home office in the beautiful Brecon Beacons, and a renewed love of my work.

After 15 years, I was at a crossroads in my career. I was fed up with the pressures of private practice and wanted to walk away from all of it. I work in education law – particularly dealing with appeals and disputes between students and universities. It’s a much-misunderstood area of practice and one that’s often handled badly.

I felt students deserved better and that it was possible to offer high-quality advice at a reasonable price. But to do this, I knew I’d have to go it alone.

A quick coffee break at home

As soon as I saw an advert in the Law Society Gazette, I contacted Setfords straightaway to find out more. I also did the sums and knew that if work went well, I would be taking home more money as a consultant than I did as an employed lawyer.

I had a small financial cushion for the early days which I’d recommend anyone to have that just in case. The more I thought about it, the more obvious it seemed to me that a change in direction was needed.

The view from my mobile office – Little Haven, Pembrokeshire

I also wanted to spend more time with my daughter who is studying an Art Foundation course. Now I get to spend more time at home getting to see her in the mornings as well as evenings.

I’d recently moved to a smallholding in the Brecon Beacons National Park. It just seemed crazy to be commuting to the city when I could be enjoying beautiful surroundings.

Family holiday in Sardinia

At first, I worried about getting clients. I didn’t have a following as such, since the turnover of clients is very fast in higher education. However, I received a tremendous amount of reassurance from the marketing and business teams at Setfords. And not long after signing up, my phone began ringing. It took a month or so, but I was soon at capacity.

I didn’t expect the workload to take off so quickly, or how organised I’d have to be! I had to learn the new systems but secretarial support at Setfords is excellent. I was surprised at how many consultants there are and impressed by how relaxed and friendly the support and admin teams are.

Coffee break in the garden

I sometimes miss the camaraderie you have with colleagues. So, I’ve been more proactive about getting out and seeing people in quieter months. This includes attending Setfords’ networking events. I was surprised at how many consultants there are and impressed by the support I’ve had from the friendly admin team too.

My confidence as a practitioner has grown. I am enjoying breaking new ground and have even had enquiries from law students asking if they can undertake work experience with me. Awareness of this area of law is growing, due to more problems being reported in the media. Before I joined Setfords, I was thinking I might give up law as I didn’t find it rewarding any more. That is no longer the case, and I now love what I do.