Entering a legal career can be a rewarding and exciting journey. However, it’s worth plenty of consideration. To become a successful lawyer you’ll have to begin planning a long time in advance and you’ll have to make sacrifices along the way. Read on to find out about the advantages and disadvantages of a legal career.
Advantages
Lucrative
For a start, this is a career that will provide you with a high, stable income. In fact, the average reported salary for lawyers in the UK on Indeed.com is £50,124. While you won’t be able to earn this figure immediately as a trainee, as you gain more experience you should find your salary increases significantly.
Stimulating
Legal work can also be intellectually stimulating. If you enjoy problem-solving and applying critical analysis, then this is the sort of career where you could thrive. On top of this, you’ll need to deal with people every as you work with clients – if you enjoy socialising and working as a team then this can be an ideal career.
Rewarding
This can be a rewarding career too. Often, you’ll be helping businesses and people find justice – you’re working to solve their problems. If you’re successful, this can be truly satisfying at the end of a case.
Disadvantages
Long hours
On the other hand, there are downsides to a legal career. For a start, you’ll have to work long hours: 30 per cent of lawyers – across all age groups – want to work fewer billable hours. As a lawyer, you’ll find that you’ll be working on weekends from time to time, on top of a long working week.
Stress
This is a stressful career to pursue. There’ll be plenty of tight deadlines and clients will expect strong results delivered on time. Plus, the content of some cases can challenge your mental health too. This is a career where you need to be resilient.
Expensive educations
To become a qualified lawyer, you’ll also need an expensive education. For many lawyers this requires an undergraduate degree, before studying for a GDL afterwards.
Professional negligence claims
Lawyers are also at risk of professional negligence claims. If a client isn’t satisfied and believes that you’ve fallen short of expected standards, then they can make a claim against you. This can be stressful and damaging – especially if the client ends up winning compensation.
Embarking on a legal career can be exciting. As you rise through the ranks, you’ll find yourself tackling rewarding cases. However, at the same time, this is a stressful career where you’ll need to work long hours. But if you have a resilient mindset, this can be the dream job for you.