Why I made the Move to Become a Consultant Solicitor at Setfords

Consultant Solicitor Rob Rocker joined Setfords in March 2020 – one of 121 lawyers who joined us over lockdown. As he comes up to his first full year at Setfords, we talked to him about his experience as a consultant solicitor in one of the most challenging years in our history.

Can you tell us a little bit about the work that you do and your background?

I have been in law for over 40 years, predominantly focussed on employment, personal injury and Will challenges. I have worked as an in-house lawyer at ICI, British Rail and London Transport, and then moved into private practice at three different national law firms. For the last 14 years, I ran my own private practice.

What prompted you to make the decision to become a consultant solicitor?

Running my own practice was no fun following the constant changes to the law and the never-ending bureaucracy and admin. It was becoming increasingly difficult to be profitable with more time being spent marketing and filling in forms than working on the cases themselves. I was spreading myself too thinly, and I knew there had to be an easier way of working.

What were your initial worries about becoming a consultant solicitor?

I wanted to maintain autonomy – independent working, managing my own time and caseload without the pressure of people looking over my shoulder. I was also concerned about building up my client base. I had some cases that I brought with me, but I knew I needed somewhere that would help me to bring in more work which in turn would increase revenue.

What made you choose Setfords over other fee-sharing firms?

I considered several other fee-sharing firms, but Setfords seemed to be the best. I felt that the firm’s vibe and ethos were very positive and friendly, and Setfords struck the right balance between providing excellent support and leaving lawyers to their own devices.

How have you found your first year at Setfords, particularly during the pressures of lockdown?

I feel it has been a smooth transition at Setfords. I don’t have to worry about any significant administrative deadlines, and I can just focus on the work. Setfords has a brilliant marketing department and business development team that have referred many new business leads to me since I started, so I’m steadily building up my caseload.

During lockdown, I definitely feel that it was better that I was part of Setfords than being on my own. I work independently, but there is an extensive network of lawyers with whom I can bounce ideas off. Setfords set up, and technology means that I can work from home and access my remote office.

What are your hopes and aims for this year in terms of your career?

I want to continue to bring in more cases and build on my success. I’m excited about building relationships with teams across the business, hopefully, face to face.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about joining Setfords?

I would say that they need to look at firms that will help them to build their careers. The business development and marketing of the firm at Setfords is really important. You need a firm that can generate the leads for you to build up your caseload and increase revenue. From personal experience, if you get bogged down by admin and have to do your own marketing, it’s hard to get yourself up the Google ladder. Joining Setfords has been a good decision.