Your job should fit within your lifestyle such that you get to choose when and where to work while at the same time earning some income. For a long time, a career in law was believed to involve long working hours, a lot of travelling to meet clients, and many sleepless nights. The good news is that the dynamics of the law career is changing.

Some legal firms now offer the chance to pursue their career with more freedom, and it gives them a substantial income as well as administrative support.

Pressures and Restraints of Working for a Large Law Firm

Here are some of the challenges that lawyers working in a large traditional in-house law firm are likely to face in their day to day activities:

• Long working hours – In traditional law firms, you are expected to meet tight deadlines. Also, you are closely monitored such that you have to work extra hours to achieve the targets set by your employer.
• Competition – A career in law is very competitive. Laws keep changing, and to maintain your relevancy in the job market you have to continue enhancing your knowledge.
• Lack of freedom – Most lawyers do not have time to spend with their families or to engage in recreational activities. The lack of freedom makes the lawyers stressed, and some may even suffer from depression. Freedom may also be denied due to close monitoring at the workplaces by the administration.
• Cost – It is expensive for lawyers to commute every day from their homes to the workplaces, then to the courtrooms. Some even travel to meet clients over long distances. At times the law practitioners may not even have the funds to cater for their travel expenses.

Flexible working

What are your views?

Options to Make Your Law Career More Flexible

Advancement in technology and the globalisation of legal services have prompted lawyers to change their work settings. Some clients are willing to pay less based on the hard economic times all over the world. As a freelance lawyer, you can take advantage of this to charge clients a fee that can accommodate the clients’ budget and at the same time earn you a good income.

As a lawyer, you should utilise to your benefit the changes that have led to legal services being made remote. In the 21st century, you get to choose which clients to work with and at what fees in the comfort of your home. Most lawyers agree that it is not about the salary but rather the flexibility of their work.

A recent study by Deloitte found that about two-thirds of employers have adopted flexible working arrangements for their employees to work at least three days remotely in a week. The move is aimed at attracting new talent while at the same time retaining the current employees. Law firms have not been left behind in the new shift. These firms have realised that they can achieve higher productivity by having their employees work from home as opposed to just sitting behind a desk in an office. Employee engagement with the employer and with clients is also enhanced by allowing lawyers more independence. In return, the employers gain loyalty from the associates. This is greatly to the advantage of the lawyers.

Companies like Excello Law handle challenges faced by lawyers and solicitors by offering them freedom and independence at the workplace. This also allows lawyers to work from home while providing them with the tools and support to work. The firm also markets the employees’ services. The company seeks to hire experienced lawyers, solicitors and attorneys who are passionate about their job so that the clients can get adequate help nationally.

Similar options are also available to smaller law firms and not just Lawyers and Solicitors. If you run a Legal Practise but are swamped with the endless paperwork and administration which is needed to run a compliant Legal practice you can offset a lot of tasks. Excello Libertas is a prime example of a way to free up additional time so you can focus more on building better relationships with your clients.

Working for New age Legal firms can bring much-needed freedom

• Online information and resource tool are known as the Excello Law Intranet “Collaborate”. The platform allows you to communicate with your clients and, at the same time, get support from the firm.
• You get to enjoy referrals from clients who have used the firms’ services previously.
• You also enjoy networking through social events organised by the company.
• The company also hosts practice area focus groups where you will meet like-minded people.
• Teams readily available to meet your business needs.
• You will also have the freedom to dictate your income as well as set your targets.

Conclusion

Law practitioners value flexibility in addition to a considerable salary. Long working hours without any independence has been a challenge in the law career. However, advancement in technology and globalisation of legal services has led to firms developing strategies to allow their employees a chance to work remotely. Companies such as Passionforlaw.com offer employs experienced lawyers, solicitors and attorneys to meet their clients’ needs while at the same time offering the employees tools to make their work possible remotely.

Written by Tim Costello