Having achieved the inaugural Award for Wellbeing at the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2018, Chris Setford, co-CEO spells out what ‘wellbeing’ means at Setfords.
Work that works for you – Dignity, achievement, mastery and independence are among our most important human needs. That’s why the rigidity of traditional law firms leaves so many lawyers feeling unfulfilled. We’ve changed that by putting lawyers in the driving seat. As a consultant lawyer you could enjoy a model focused on you – read on to find out what this means in reality…
Enjoy better relationships – Imagine being able to put your most important relationships first. Long hours and high stress means lawyers often sacrifice family and relationships for time at the office. Instead, why not consider a model that fits around you? With consultancy, you can. Work from any location, with clients and hours you choose.
Live a healthier, longer life – Stress is a pervasive force within the legal profession. And stress can literally take years off your life. No career is worth sacrificing your health for. As a consultant there’s no need to power your body with caffeine and convenience foods. You can take time to relax, unwind and look after your mental health. As opposed to being judged for leaving the office on time, you’ll be supported to put you, and your health first.
Leave unrewarding partnerships behind – It’s a fraught path to partnership. Once there it can deliver increased financial reward, but also comes with increased responsibility, more stress and even longer hours. For many the pressure, politics and hours don’t add up. We are here to let lawyers determine their own measures of success, become their own bosses and leave behind an unrewarding rat race.
Balance – Our model allows lawyers to spend time doing what they love. From flying aeroplanes, starting new businesses, spending time with family or travelling, life as a consultant allows you to explore your ambitions whatever they may be. You are in charge of the scales and can tip the balance any way you want.
Earnings that are fair and transparent – Recent studies have suggested pay is not as closely liked to job satisfaction as we may think. It seems that what’s more important is the freedom to determine your own direction. Choose your clients. Choose your hours. Forget billing targets. And earn more than you would for the same work in a traditional firm. Our fee-share structure means earnings are based solely on achievement. As such, recent issues linked to the gender pay-gap seen in traditional firms simply don’t exist here. Here, everyone has the opportunity to earn equally.
Improved job security – In 2008 the legal industry saw a raft of redundancies. The sector is still uncertain. As Michael Edwards, a senior consultant at Setfords explains, the only real security a lawyer can achieve is having their own client base, built through experience and grown with the support of expert teams behind them. From PR to finance, business development to secretarial support we exist to help you build your business and power your own job security.
Networks that support you – The politics of traditional law firms serves no purpose in our model. Setfords consultants often say that one of the biggest benefits of this way of working is our ready-made network of support. With over 180 consultant lawyers nationwide Setfords consultants support and champion each other to success, sharing knowledge, clients – and they can be themselves while doing so.
Grow, learn, live – Becoming a consultant enables you to grow your business, learn new skills and live the life you want. You won’t feel yourself stagnate, or be held back by rigid structures or petty politics. We will support you to grow the career and lifestyle you want. It doesn’t need to be a pipedream. You can live it now.