As we enter the second month of lockdown many solicitors have found themselves adjusting to a new way of working. Having always had to travel into the office, work long days, and physically attend meetings they now find themselves working in a completely new way – from home.

Initially this may have taken a period of adjustment, especially for if their firms were not already set up to provide solicitors with efficient systems to be able to work effectively from home. I am sure there will have been some teething problems and frustrations experienced for busy solicitors trying to continue to provide essential and expert advice to clients, whilst in a haste to set up a working home office.

Hopefully, many of these issues will now have been smoothed out. Although I have no doubt, there will be firms that have dealt with this more successfully than others, resulting in various degrees of morale and engagement from solicitors towards their incumbent firm.

On the plus side, with a new home working environment there will have been those solicitors who have found many advantages to working in a different way. For high performing, free spirited solicitors the lockdown has offered a new-found independence and freedom never experienced before. The ability to control and manage their own case load in exactly the way they want to. The freedom to work during the hours that suit them whilst ensuring their targets are still being met. The ability to explore other interests. It has given them an opportunity to have a taste of what flexible working could be like when the lockdown eases.

Working from home may have been something you have always wanted to do, and this lockdown has given you the opportunity to try it out. Having had a taste of being your own boss is there not a reluctance of go back to how it was before? For those ambitious and entrepreneurial solicitors who would like to maintain a true balance between work and life we offer a solution. Consultancy.

All our solicitors work flexibly and remotely. They have total control over when they work, where they work and with whom they work. When solicitors get to a certain point in their legal career, they have a deep understanding of the type of clients they want to work with, and the area of work they want to focus on. They know how they would like to structure their charges, as opposed to having those charges dictated to them. At Cognitive Law we empower our consultants to manage this completely. No targets or partner meetings, and no commute. The chance to truly be your own boss.

This control means all our solicitors have the freedom and flexibility to fit their work in around their other passions in life. They have the time to pursue their hobbies or do the travelling (when we are able to again) that they have always had to fit in around their minimal annual leave. They have the time to take as and when they need it. An early morning round of golf, or a weekend away at the last minute. One of our consultant solicitors in a keen sailor, and flexible working has allowed her to follow this passion and is regularly known to be sailing between Liverpool and Brighton.

Not only can your passion for hobbies be satisfied but consultancy with Cognitive Law also offers you the freedom to fulfil your CSR and take on pro bono work or explore other income streams such as Non-Executive Directorships. This is pretty much unachievable when working in a traditional law firm with very little time either side of the working day.

Our head office team bring huge amounts of support to consultants, from billing to admin, as well hands on marketing assistance. Our help is always there whenever you need it. Remote working does not mean you are alone. We are a community of solicitors working independently with a shared value of support and empowerment.

That community has kept us strong. Home working did not affect us, we were already set up for working that way. Our systems were all in place so that when lockdown began, we only had to capitalise on our pre-existing strengths. Because we don’t have a big office we have low overheads, which means we are financially stable – and will remain so.

So, if you’ve been given a taste of flexible working, and the independence you have always dreamt of now could be the perfect time to become a consultant solicitor. An opportunity to have a better work life balance with the support of a team that completely get that you have other passions outside of work that mean a lot to you. Now, when legal life is a little quieter than normal, it’s a great time to enjoy a soft landing. For once in our professional lifetimes there is less pressure than usual, making it the ideal opportunity to build up a case load.

If you are interested in finding out more about joining Cognitive Law as a consultant solicitor take a look at our Join Us page, or contact me on lucy.tarrant@cognitivelaw.co.uk. I would love to hear from you.

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