I read in my alumni magazine recently, of an experienced lawyer who had
left that career to go into home renovating. People leaving the
practice of law are not that
uncommon.
I know of lawyers who have become farmers, businesspersons, film makers
and poets.
While there is the public perception that the practice of law is
glamorous and financially rewarding, it also has its stresses,
frustrations and sometimes boredom.
“Frankly, I’m just a glorified paper pusher,” a colleague with some 20
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years of experience told me over lunch the other day. “If I could
figure out something else to do, I would.”
His sentiment is one that I share. Some years ago I decided I wanted
something more of work than processing paper in real
estate transactions, estates and debt collection.
Most cases are not about grand principles of law. They are about
ensuring the proper paperwork is done, dealing with other lawyers and
trying to get a client to be reasonable (yes, you can take
your spouse to court, but think
of the time, emotional and
financial cost.)
“Frankly, I got tired of seeing people fight with each other, often
with no regard for the children,” said another lawyer who spent years
practising family law before leaving practice. She also noted that some
lawyers engage in aggressive tactics that inflame family cases.
This sentiment was echoed in a 1998 federal report on child custody
that noted “many witnesses, including several lawyers, alleged that
some family law lawyers make a practice of escalating the fight between
divorcing parents.”
With a view to reducing the tension in family law disputes, some
lawyers are promoting collaborative law wherein the parties agree to
negotiate their differences and not go to court to settle their
dispute. This helps both clients and lawyers reduce the stress of
family cases.
There is also the business side of law. A law degree is not a guarantee
of prosperity. A newly qualified lawyer who opened up shop by himself
would probably find it slow. Like any other business, simply because
you open your doors doesn’t mean that clients will flock to your office.
There is plenty of competition. Richard Gaasenbeek, a family lawyer
quoted in the report on child custody said, “president Lincoln said
there is nothing more dangerous to society than a hungry lawyer. OK, we
have 25,000 lawyers practising in Ontario, whereas when I started there
were 5,000. The legal problems the public faces have not increased
fivefold. So what we have here is 25,000 hungry lawyers.”
As an alternative to practising on their own, more young graduates seek
positions with large law firms. Large firms are better able to attract
work, particularly corporate work.
However, in such firms your billings become even more important. You
have to jconvince your partners and associates that you have indeed
billed to justify your position and share of the overhead. The pressure
of billing is something one often hears
from lawyers.
Practising law is not a guarantee of riches. Statistics Canada does not
report on incomes of self-employed professionals.
However, my recollection from statistics of some years ago is that
lawyers were below doctors, dentists and accountants in earnings. I
know of lawyers who earned less than teachers and nurses.
Like any other line of work, the practice of law has its pluses and its
negatives. I have found teaching, researching, writing and publishing
about law far more satisfying than the
practice itself.
Don Purich is a former practising lawyer who is now involved in
publishing, teaching and writing about legal issues. His columns are
intended as general advice only. Individuals are encouraged to seek
other opinions and/or personal counsel when dealing with legal matters.
