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You may still love the law — the challenge, the problem-solving, the chance to help clients navigate some of life’s biggest moments.
But you may no longer love the way you’re being asked to practise it.
For many high street lawyers, the day-to-day reality is long hours, high billing pressures, and a culture that leaves little room for life outside the office. Over time, the work you once found meaningful can start to feel draining.
If that sounds familiar, it’s worth knowing there is another way to work, and it is one that gives you the autonomy, earning potential, and flexibility you may have been missing.
But first, what is it that is stopping you from making the change – we see a pattern of familiar things that make people fear a move into consultancy, being nervous to change is completely understandable and as a firm we make it our mission to help those with the skill, talent and drive to thrive as a consultant truly succeed. So, what is it that makes lawyers reluctant to change?
Are you stuck at your law firm but nervous to change?
When lawyers tell us they’ve been thinking about consultancy “for years,” it’s rarely because they don’t want change. It is more often than not because there are three hidden (and powerful) anchors tethering them to stay.
1. Financial Familiarity
Stability permeates all you do with that steady salary, the predictable benefits, they feel safe. But they can also be what is stopping you from moving into something that fits you and your life far better.
The fear is that leaving will mean less security, less success, less worth – what will you do and who will you be without the brand of your firm behind you?
The reality? Many consultants discover that they bloom and grow. They gain more control over their earnings, more freedom to choose how and when they work, and more alignment between their values and their day-to-day practice.
As consultant solicitor Mark Tunstill explains:
“I see Scomo as a firm which allows maximum flexibility at work. It also provides a great return, with consultants keeping most of the fees received. The atmosphere is collegiate despite most of us being dispersed across the country and even the globe… The Scomo experience is hassle-free… all I need is a laptop and smartphone to work wherever I choose.”
2. Professional Identity
Your title, your firm’s name, even the building you walk into every day, they become part of who you are. The idea of stepping away really can feel like you are losing a piece of yourself, many of our consultants have come from large and well known firms before taking the leap.
Which is why changing how you work can feel so scary – who will you be?
You are still you – your skills, your relationships, your reputation — they belong to you, not to a logo or a brand.
Mitchell Woolf joined Scomo over a decade ago while also working in academia:
“Working as a consultant solicitor at ScoMo has given me the opportunity to take cases and also continue working in the academic field… It allows me to have control over my caseload and leaves me with the autonomy to explore areas of challenge that interest me. Working with other like-minded people gives us an ethos that means I do not feel isolated even if I am not sharing an office with other consultants.”
Stop asking yourself “Who am I without this?” but start wondering “Who could I allow myself to become?”
3. Constant Demands
The 9-5 (and we know that this is not the case for many) can feel relentless. When you’re buried in deadlines, client needs, and firm responsibilities, there’s no space left to imagine an alternative.
You tell yourself you’ll think about it when things quieten down, but that day does not come.
The truth is, creating that breathing space is something you have to take for yourself. And in that space, you can gain the clarity (and the courage) to plan your next step. Many of our consultants have come to us either just before or just after a life changing event;
For Laura Janes, her decision came at a pivotal time:
“I joined Scomo when I was pregnant with my second child. At that time, I wanted to continue with my practice but I needed the flexibility to work in a way that suited me and my family. I was also halfway through a professional doctorate. Five years on, I have completed my doctorate and developed my practice significantly… The set up at ScoMo enables me to continue to develop my practice alongside my other commitments.”
How does life look as a consultant lawyer?
Some can feel that ‘going it alone’ or moving into more agile working is less corporate or stepping away from ambition – this is not the case. Reframe it – you are redefining what you need and see that consultancy means you could:
- Choose the clients and matters you want to work on.
- Set your own fees and targets.
- Work from anywhere – office, home, or a mix of both.
- Build your week around the life you want, not the other way round.
The right consultancy platform also means you’re not alone. You join a network of entrepreneurial, driven lawyers who share ideas, referrals, and expertise.
When you’re surrounded by people who genuinely want to see you succeed, collaboration replaces competition and work starts to feel exciting again.
Why the Scomo Culture Changes Everything
At our firm, consultancy is built on community. We attract lawyers who want growth without burnout, success without sacrificing freedom.
When you have a room full of like-minded lawyers looking to take charge of their careers and make the move to owning their own business special things happen:
- Projects get off the ground faster.
- Complex matters get solved together.
- Value (and how to price it) becomes a priority.
- Pipelines strengthen through shared opportunities.
These are meetings you want to be in, not meetings you have to attend.
How do you make the shift?
If you’ve been thinking about change, here are four steps to help you explore it seriously, these are our top tips:
- Speak to people who’ve done it – hear their unfiltered experiences and how they planned to grow their own business.
- Map your finances – know your numbers so you can plan with confidence, understand what preparatory work you can do to bridge the gap between leaving employment and becoming a consultant.
- List your “must haves” – the things you want more of and less of in your career.
- Build your support network – surround yourself with people who believe in you and your potential.
Build a career you don’t need to escape from
If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to rethink your career, it may not arrive on its own. Sometimes, you have to make it.
Consultancy offers a way to keep practising the law you love while reclaiming your time, energy, and earning potential.
If you’re ready to explore what this could look like for you, let’s start the conversation and map out the next chapter of your legal career, on your terms.
