Help. Followed partners from V50 to V50 couple years ago. Haven’t been able to generate business. Not getting enough work from other partners, but have received very positive feedback when I did. I’m now more senior. I’m sole breadwinner for family of 4. I feel I made a terrible mistake joining the partners. I feel my career is over. I feel that I am going to lose everything. I’m in a terrible mental state. Having terrible thoughts. Feeling alone and no one can help me. Is there any way out?

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Deep breath. Being a sole breadwinner (as I am) is hard. But it’s manageable. And your family needs you. So let’s figure this out.

Tell me about your market, practice, and firm.

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7th yr patent lit. (but with 5yr lit experience, otherwise pat. pros. and opinion work) in NYC. Life Sciences. Have a M.S. Firm’s IP group (which focuses mostly on tech) was built on lateral hiring and all the partners have their associates, so can’t seem to get myself in. All reviews and feedback has been very positive with all partners I worked with saying they would work with me again without hesitation. My practice involves products worth millions-billions and, as such, partners handle most or all depositions, meet/confers, oral arguments. So I have not done any of that and feel inadequate. Though I have billed >2150 hrs for past 2 years, the majority of it is non-billable BDev/PracDev and I haven’t met my hours. I have no idea what to do. Feel the axe is going to fall at any minute.

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Take a breath. I promise you there are options. You have received good feedback—that’s a huge plus. Have you talked with your department/office chair? I have found that the best way to find work is to just be blunt about it. This is a weird time and people understand being slow, especially now.

If it really is as bad as you think it is, there are still tons of opportunities to lateral into other law firms, the private sector, or the government. Have you though about talking with a head hunter? Friends at other firms? Put out feelers. I know at my firm, if we bring an associate we are elegible for a bonus. Ask your friends if their firm has a bonus—they will get the picture.

No matter what, your options are wide. Just remember that.

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Terrible thoughts/mental state = if you don’t have a counselor already, get one. You take care of everyone else, first take care of you. You have to put your oxygen mask on to be able to continue to help anyone. Depression creeps up on you and one day it’s driving the car.

I can dissuade you of a few things: your career is not you, and your family needs you as a person, not just as a bread winner.

If this move feels like the wrong one, grab a notebook and brainstorm what you would like to do when/if this ends. Then, talk to your spouse about making a change and what that would look like. Maybe you move; maybe you scale back; maybe you go for a year-long road trip adventure and home school the kids (don’t know their ages ;).
You are more than your career, more than a paycheck and if it doesn’t feel like that right now, start reforging those bonds with your family and friends.

Tell your spouse how you are feeling. He/she may say “thank god I hate the new firm and those partners are jerks! Let’s make a change!” And if their initial reaction is fear or trepidation, make sure they understand how deeply affected you are right now so they understand that this isn’t just burnout/fatigue.

We spend so much time at work and we tie our self esteem so tightly to our jobs. We even use our jobs to identify us—“nice to meet you, Sal, what do you do?” But it’s a lie—if we are fortunate enough to make it to an enjoyable retirement, we’re not hanging out with our old business partners.

One more tip. When you talk to your spouse about making a change, if you can, have a bit of a plan. (If this is too overwhelming skip it and just talk to them first.) For example, look at the finances and figure out where you can cut back a bit to build a cushion of short term savings. Plan an exit strategy that is not tomorrow but not three years from now—it will give everyone the time to get used to it and to adjust in order to do so in comfort.

You may be surprised how happy they are, because your family likely senses some of your unhappiness and fear even if they don’t recognize it as such. Go into the conversation assuming you are loved far beyond your career.

You will not lose everything if you lose this job. It feels like everything but it is just a job. It doesn’t love you. Try desperately to refocus. It’s hard in our culture but try to start divorcing that identity.

Good book for making radical changes: Your money or your life, by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin.

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Thank you—I am speaking from current personal experience :) My spouse is struggling with their job right now and I just keep trying to reinforce that we will make it work if they need to walk out the door. They make 2/3 of our income, but the misery and stress is not worth it. They are the type that doesn’t look for work unless and until they are unemployed - super loyal and hate change - so my situation is a bit different, but I desperately want them to find something new even if it means significant financial cutbacks/changes at home.

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I try to talk with my spouse about it. Spouse doesn’t understand where I am coming from. Seems to think I have no reason to worry right now. Seems to get annoyed when I try to talk about it, so I try hard to keep it to myself. Spouse says money doesn’t matter. But never gives me the reassurance I am looking for when I say I may have to take a major pay cut; doesn’t understand why I would need to do that. Spouse is not keen on moving because spouse’s family is near, but a move is not out of the picture.

I have a therapist. Not sure how it is supposed to help. But trying many things to right the ship. I have a very uncertain future.

Thank you all for your comments.

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Hang in there. You don’t need anybody to approve your decisions. Do what’s best for yourself and then you can take care of others.

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I have seen your situation before. Same exact thing happened to a close friend of mine. He went back to his original firm and made partner a year after returning. If you left on good terms, the door may still be open for you. Remember - as an associate you're not that big of a deal to your firm. Firms are very used to associates leaving and usually don't hold grudges against associates for doing so. Firms are businesses after all and hiring a new, unknown lateral is expensive and risky. Hiring you would be neither so they may be open to it.

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You’ve gotten good reviews, which means you’re a good lawyer. There will always be a need for good lawyers. Therefore, there will always be a need for you. It may not feel like it in this moment, but this moment will pass. You have a technical skill that few others have, and because you’re good at it, you’ll always be able to put food on the table and provide for your family.

Thank you all. Good advice.

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