Do all careers in law have long hours?

I think it really does depend on where you work, what sort of work and where you are.

I don't work for a city firm so I shouldn't really comment but it seems fairly obvious that if you are working for high rolling and high paying outfits, then you will have to put the hours in.

If you are after a more 9 to 6 type of experience, then you will have to go out of the city, maybe high street - although I would have thought that the bigger the firm, the more the hours expected - the smaller the firm, the more likely you will get a shorter day. Or maybe in-house or of course, into the public sector.

Government ie GLS and maybe CPS I hear have better 'work/life' balances.

Barristers also do very long hours at late notice.

The other two things to bear in mind are - a) some areas of law lend themselves to shorter hours and b) once you qualify, then you can muck around more with where you work, say, or find a job that suits you. So work hard first of all.

Lastly, if you work in the professions, then long hours are pretty standard. You also need to think about what you think you will accept - a big difference between working 12 hours a day and the 'occasional late night'.

You will also want different hours in different points of your life.

Many thanks for your helpful response.

I understand that a lot of people go into law for the potential earnings and your input will reflect this. However, I'm someone who would ideally like to earn a 'decent' salary, put the effort in but not work hours which take over my life - which I hear is often the case! I need down-time as a person so this is why I'm questioning if it's the right area for someone like myself.

In-house sounds as though it's the way to go. Where do you work? Do you enjoy it and have much down-time?

Hi all,

I want to study law and would like to be a lawyer working in IP someday. The one thing that really puts me off though, is the crazy amount of hours supposedly worked by lawyers. Like many I am prepared to work my butt off, but working 12+ hour days regularly is a major turn-off. The odd late night a week? Sure... but not 5 or 6 days a week.

So my question is whether this is the case for all lawyers (particularly City lawyers)? How about the TC, does anyone know what kind of hours you work during that also? Do the traditional 9-6 roles exist where you can still earn a "decent" salary?

Basically I'd like a nice work/life balance, so I'm debating whether this is totally the wrong arena for me before investing in an LLB.

Any input would be greatly appreciated Thanks

Many thanks for your helpful response.

I understand that a lot of people go into law for the potential earnings and your input will reflect this. However, I'm someone who would ideally like to earn a 'decent' salary, put the effort in but not work hours which take over my life - which I hear is often the case! I need down-time as a person so this is why I'm questioning if it's the right area for someone like myself.

In-house sounds as though it's the way to go. Where do you work? Do you enjoy it and have much down

Thanks very much for your replies Perhaps it is better to look into other areas of law then and aim to get a TC in a mid-sized firm or in-house if possible. I'm quite interested in entertainment & media law too so perhaps a niche/boutique firm would be better suited.

Thanks again.