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Hi, this is a question to all lawyers who compete/ own a horse(s). How do you manange your career and your horsing persuits. Im thinking of studying law and although this possibly shouldn't be a priority, I would like to know if being involved with horses and having a career in law is achievable?
Also, if you could please state working hours, competing at weekends, what sort of livery you have your horse on etc.
Thank you!
 
I am studying law and have two horses. It is very hard work, but at the same time, in the long run, I know it will help fund my hobby v well
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I think it's do-able
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As with any other intensive career, its going to be hard work managing work and horse commitments, and I would say a large part depends on the backup you have and the livery you can afford, as well as how far you want to go in your career. If you are training with one of the top firms, you will be expected on occasions to work very late at very little notice. Refusing based on contracted hours and work life balance is fine in theory, but doesnt work in practice. If you dont have anyone else to do the horse at that notice, and arent paying livery, then I would suspect you would decide pretty early on that it wasnt fair on the horse for you to remain his sole care giver.
Law generally pays well enough that later on in your career you could pay for the back up you need, but with training contracts in the early years I would imagine that full livery in some areas would be a struggle.
In conclusion, probably do-able, but as I have decided my career means I cant own until Ive finished training, I couldnt honestly say careers and horses mesh easily together.
 
Am not an expert... but I guess it must depend on what sort of law you choose to do and whether you are a barrister or a solicitor.

My OH is a criminal barrister - (he doesn't do horses tho!) But based on his working hours I don't think he could do horses as well.... even if he wanted too... he works very long hours - often at short notice and often over weekends. Even if we have planned to do something it may have to change - or he may have to work through the night to be ready for court the next day
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But he does like his job
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I am a trainee in the city at a magic circle firm - I have a horse in Essex which I ride most nights albeit late and at weekends. Having a horse has without a doubt damaged my career prospects - it is a little like having a child even tho someone else looks after him when I am at work he still needs exercise and personal one on one time and affection. This means I stress about getting out of work (prior to buying him I was working sometimes until 3-4am straight through and back at 8-9am) and cannot be 100% flexible and willing to go the extra mile all the time. For every one person like me there are 100 willing to jump in my shoes for the opportunity of this job.

There there are very few places to keep them that have decent facilities and are close to London and it is extremely stressful and I suffer with agravated bad health.....

Basically not to be negative - I love my boy and he keeps me sane through some really hard times but if I were you I would give yourself a couple of years off the horses so you can commit fully to your career if you are going to do it rather than only being able to split yourself half committed to your career and half committed to your horse.
 
interesting comparison with horses/children luckylocalian....

One of the things I have noticed is that female (criminal) barristers often don't have children... their career would suffer (being self employed and so having to turn away work - then not getting work when they come back
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Is different for the men...

I know there are women barristers that prob do have kids and continue working.. but is not that common..

Not sure if this is the same for other types of barrister or for solicitors as I only know about crimial barristers!
 
In short... It's bloody difficult!!! I keep mine on full livery (no exercise) as there's no way with the unpredictable hours you could do it any other way. However, I make sure I ride 5 times a week. Has it harmed my career? Yes, I think it may have a bit. My friend's husband is in the navy and she has no outside interests so she has all the time on Earth to stay at work til midnight every night.

To be honest though, I think it's about making a choice... having a really good career or managing it with horses. I know I would be miserable without a horse in my life and working 24/7 so I don't mind sacrificing the career. So for me it's about working to pay for my horse rather than wanting to work all hours God sends. Yes, sometimes you do have to work late but at the end of the day, my horse ranks higher in priority than my career!
 
I think it could actually be easier if I wasn't at a magic circle firm or working in London - but there is a definite culture of face time and crazy nutty working hours (like a friend of mine left her husband on the Sunday, came into work on the Monday and worked without being allowed to go home and unpack in her new flat SOLIDLY until the WEDNESDAY... and this IS considered normal!)

I love my horse tho - he is my lifeline to normality and sexy x
 
I study law (started my ILEX Legal Exec course in September), i work full time, have college from 3-7pm on Tuesdays, and have 2 horses.

I don't go to the yard on a Mon or Tues evening, but am there every day Wed-Sun, often don't get home till 9pm Wed-Fri and then have to try study for an hour or so for two of those evenings - means i have no social life at all during the week!

Definitely do-able though!
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Lill - I think that is showing a huge amount of commitment and very well done genuinely for being able to juggle all that BUT would you be able to do that with two horses if you was working every day untiil midnight and beyond AND weekends - I mean in the past I have billed up to 16/18 hours PER DAY - working over 100 hours a week - and that is the reality of the job for many people and if I was not on restricted hours due to a serious illness that is what would be expected of me now. It is seriously tough sometimes.
 
Quite simply i wouldn't work the 16/18 hours a day i would find another job that suited me better!
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No offence to you or anyone else who does work those hours (not sure how you do it!
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Once i qualify i'll stay here for at least another 2 yrs (so will be here till at least 2012 scary!) and my working hours that i'm contracted to do will not change when i move from secretary/trainee to legal exec/assistant.
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I decided early on that partnership was not for me and don't consider myself a career lawyer. I recently changed jobs to a firm with a more flexible culture and negotiated 8-4pm 3 days a week and 9-5.30pm 2 days a week, but I have to say I'm not entirely happy with the firm and probably wouldn't have chosen to work here had it not been for the hours offered. I left a more prestigious firm that refused to give me the flexibility I wanted.

Having said that, I work longer hours quite a lot. The difference is that on the days I do finish "on time" I don't feel as guilty about leaving the office.

I am actually looking to change jobs again soon because I've realised that although my career isn't my priority, it is important to me and I want a firm that offers me more in terms of satisfaction, quality clients etc.

My area of law is also easier to manage - wills, trusts and probate - so I can organise my hours more than somebody say in the areas of commercial or litigation.

I keep mine on full livery anyway because I can't guarantee I'll be there due to the hours I might have to do.
 
I think a large part of the decision would be based on the type of law you intend to go into, whereas conveyancing and probate, or even commercial law might offer more regular hours and some control over your day, criminal work is notoriously unpredictable, especially if you get sucked into a duty scheme.
 
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I think a large part of the decision would be based on the type of law you intend to go into, whereas conveyancing and probate, or even commercial law might offer more regular hours and some control over your day, criminal work is notoriously unpredictable, especially if you get sucked into a duty scheme.

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Thats true, my area of work will be conveyancing (hopefully) when i qualify!
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I agree with most that has been written above. If you are going to work in a city firm in London you will be working all hours and expected to be on call pretty much 24/7. Depending on your speciality, you may also have to travel internationally at a moments notice and may have to stay abroad for a few weeks - kind of rules out DIY!!!! If however you plan to be a solicitor in a small firm in a small town then you may find its pretty much 9-5 like any other office job.

However, once you've done your time in the city and got a bit of experience then you have more choices. Being a Professional Support Lawyer is now quite a good career path for those with horses. The pay is good and the hours are regular. Lots of PSL's work part time - for example 3 days a week and some firms are ok with home working. It is also generally less stressful. You are very unlikely to make partner, but to be honest thats not the be all and end all for increasing numbers of solicitors.

Not wanting to seem like all doom and gloom over law, but to be perfectly honest I found it pretty horrible. Studying law at uni was great but the reality of workibng in a office law was awful. I have worked in quite a few of the top firms and in all there was lots of bullying and nastyness, and generally they were horrible places to work. I know very few solicitors that enjoy it. But - as a NQ you may get 100k or more in a US firm. Is it worth selling your soul for - thats what you need to deceide. Everyone says they will just do it for a few years to set themselves up for life, but money is addictive and few leave once they are saddled with big mortgages etc.
 
I escaped after finishing my LPC
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none of the 'decent' firms would touch me as I didn't get a first (even with a very good list of work experience and references! (non UK firms though hence them not giving me TC!)). I decided to find myself a job as TCs are 2 years in advance anyway and basically I have ended up where I am now and don't think I will ever return to law!

The amount of friends I studied with who are going through hell is unbelievable and the majority aren't even in london never mind Magic Circle firms.

One friend walked into one of the biggest firms in the area (actually think it is biggest) where they get 600+ applicants every year for their 10 TC places. She had hoped to buy a horse once she started working but those plans soon changed and she gets minimal time to ride full stop as she does have partner aspirations. She works 12 hours most days and is regularly in over the weekend doing work of a glorified assistant (read photocopying binding etc) well actually the secretaries are paid more than she is by far!!

although i don't mind 'working outside the box' where hours are concerned there is reasonable and then there is not and a 100 hour week is not me!! Do you think I had a lucky escape
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I recently reitred from practice. It is possible to have horses and work full time as a solicitor provided you work 9-5. I was able to do this in a small provincial practice. In fact I would not have taken a job that required me to work rediculous hours. Yes I did not earn as much maybe but everything involves sacrifice. I also had two children (now 29 and 27). In those days I had 10 weeks off for each and I wasnt paid. I was lucky not to be sacked!
 
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