London solicitors – migrating to the regions

Whilst working in London can be incredibly rewarding from a professional point of view, you may feel that the benefits(financial or otherwise) of being employed in the capital are potentially outweighed by the quality of life which can be enjoyed in the regions.

The reasons for relocating can be incredibly diverse and varied. Yet, for so many reasons, the thought of life outside the capital can be very attractive. Some of the reasons why people leave London:

• Disillusioned with London – life in London hasn’t lived up to expectations
• Looking for a better work/life balance – target hours at commercial firms in the regions are often lower than those in the City
• Looking for a shorter commute
• Would like easier accessibility to the countryside – if you live well within the M25 without a car, you may find that getting out into the countryside is easier said than done
• You may have a desire to live in the countryside without having an inordinate commute to work – this is difficult to achieve if you work in central London
• You may have a passion for outdoor pursuits and you feel it is easier to indulge this passion if you live in the regions
• You may be looking to start a family and would prefer to do this outside the capital
• You would like to return to where you grew up
• You would like to return to the town/city where you went to university/college
• Partner/spouse secures work away from London

It may be something that you’ve been considering for a long time but you are uncertain about the impact it would have on your career and your earning potential. We can often provide guidance and re-assurance about a move away from London. If, as a first step, you would just like to have a chat about moving out of London, please feel free to call one of our consultants and hopefully we will be able to allay your fears. Any contact made will be in the strictest confidence.

All the main commercial centres outside of London(namely Cardiff, Southampton, Bristol, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle) have a number of major commercial firms which can offer a quality of work comparable to that which can be experienced in the City. Conversely, you may feel weary of the large firm culture and these locations also possess a healthy number of mid-tier and boutique/niche practices, many of whom offer similarly high quality work.

In addition to this you will also find that other provincial centres such as Brighton, Exeter, Plymouth, Northampton, Norwich, Ipswich, Oxford, Cambridge, Cheltenham, Liverpool, Derby and Sheffield all contain at least one large commercial firm(and in some cases more than one) supplemented once again by well-regarded mid-tier and boutique practices offering work of outstandingly high quality.

Irrespective of where you are looking to relocate and what legal discipline you specialise in, we can, on the basis of the criteria you give us, recommend those firms which will offer the highest quality work in your preferred location.

Partnership/ career progression prospects vary widely between firms and there is no rule of thumb which can be used to determine how quickly or otherwise partnership/ career progression may be achieved. This will depend on a variety of factors determined by the practice you’re joining and, more importantly, the incumbent dynamics of the particular department which is looking to take you on.

Assistance we offer when relocating

Often, when relocating, securing new employment can be the ‘easy’ part, especially when compared to finding a new house and more importantly, the location of that new house. If you have a family, what are the local schools like and the local facilities? Do not worry. We can provide local information and guidance, and in many cases provide first hand experience and knowledge about important issues such as where the best places to live are. If we cant answer your questions then we would be more than happy to speak to one of our contacts(on your behalf) who does know the answer.