There are many branches in the legal areas available for you to pursue. It would be wise to first consult with a highly respect legal career consultancy and recruiter like Beacon Legal before studying or taking a law job. But before you apply to law school, there are some advantages and disadvantages of being a lawyer that you should know of to better weigh your options.
Advantages Of Being A Lawyer
There are many advantages of being a lawyer, and you will steadily learn why this field is highly regarded and valued.
● It Is An Extremely Luxurious Career
As a lawyer, you’ll earn a fixed salary that is quite impressive even if you’re only starting your career. The more seasoned you become in your career, the higher the pay grade will escalate. Private law-firms are quite rewarding in that manner. Eventually, you may start your private practice and progress even higher in your career.
● Numerous Career Opportunities
An attorney enjoys many benefits while exploring their career. They can choose to serve in the private or public sector. For the public sector, this translates into a community lawyer or a criminal prosecutor. You may even decide to become a criminal defense attorney who serves and protects innocent lives.
As a public defender, you can represent clients who are unable to hire a lawyer for themselves. All of these areas are available for you to pursue once you pass the bar exam, and you can quickly submerge into a career of your choice. It may or may not include real estate, domestic planning, or corporate law. The best part of becoming a lawyer today is that you can quickly obtain an online pre law degree and immediately start your career.
● A Flexible Schedule
If you practice law in this time and era, you’ll have immense flexibility with your schedule. You can always provide your law firm with an alternate schedule through telecommunication and hire a virtual assistant to assist you in managing your workload.
● Transferable Skills
Suppose you don’t wish to continue as a lawyer. In that case, you can switch over to legal consulting, publishing, administration work, or even banking. Technology is steadily gaining momentum in becoming another accessible field among the many careers which share similar prerequisites and skillsets for you to join. The skills you pick in law school are precious for accessing many opportunities.
All in all, this field is extremely fruitful. With so many advancements happening, new legal issues are emerging. The emergence of new problems means more areas to explore and more opportunities. It is safe to assume a lawyer may never go out of business, and there will always be someone who will need legal advice.
As glamorous as becoming a lawyer sounds about now, no career path is perfect. Before you dive in headfirst; You should be aware of the disadvantages of becoming a lawyer.
Disadvantages Of Becoming A Lawyer
No field comes without its cons in addition to its pros. Exploring the disadvantages of becoming a lawyer will make it easier for you to make a professional decision for your career. It is an excellent practice to be aware of both sides of the argument before pursuing anything in life.
● High Levels of Stress
Becoming a lawyer is perhaps one of the most stressful careers. Several deadlines require completion in a short time. There are lots of bills to be paid for the duration of your career. The working hours are strenuous and prolonged. Clients are not always cooperative. It will help if you keep updating yourself with every minute changes to the law. As a lawyer, you’re very susceptible to a spectrum of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
● The Education Is Expensive
Law schools, in general, are costly. If you are aiming for a prestigious institute to study law, they cost way more than the average salary. Hefty tuition fees force students to seek loans. It is not unusual for you to start your practice in a competitive market while still balancing your loans, which may take years to pay off. In most cases, the loan repayment leaves a considerable dent in your wages.
● Profit Loss
There are many self-service products and websites available online which allow clients to eye their billing cost. Clients will demand more work in exchange for the money they will pay you. These services keep the billing rates consistent and cut into your profit. More clients are using paralegals or self-service websites for short tasks.
● Outsourcing Legal Work
There is a trend to outsource legal work. Clients find nations with a lower cost of labor than the standard available in their country. Over the past few years, this trend has been increasing. Outsourcing is decreasing opportunities for lawyers to increase their clientele base. It is also making it difficult for them to avail more opportunities.
These disadvantages may not be enough. However, sometimes even a little is enough to discourage people from trying. When you put the pros and cons together, the image will clarify and decide what path to take.
Wrapping Up
Everyone wants a promising career. Much work is needed to climb the ladder of social success. No profession comes without sacrifices and compromises. It is up to you to decide which side of the scale matters most.
Becoming a lawyer is a perfect professional decision. You pave a path for your career to flourish in many aspects. The skills you’ll pick up from law school can be used throughout your life in different settings. Establish yourself as a lawyer today and initiate your private practice, making room for inviting fresh lawyers to work for you. A reliable law career will help you develop a name and a reputation in society, along with many benefits.
Make a decision today and start your career as a lawyer or attorney of your choosing, unless you want to look into a different career.