First day of partial ER!

[67walkon]

Today was the 1st official day of not being full time. Of course, I worked full time today. My deal is that I am taking a 25% cut in compensation and getting more time off. Starting in late April through October, I'm planning on going away for 2 weeks, working for 2 or 3 weeks, going away for 2 weeks, etc. If it works out for everyone, which is my wife, my partners in the law firm, and me, I wouldn't mind increasing the time off and decreasing the work time over the next few years until I sort of just disappear.

We have a 2d home in the mountains and want to spend those weeks off up there. I doubt we'll ever live there full time, but I do think we may eventually get rid of 1 of the 2 houses. It's a blessing to have the option.

I'm not exactly class of 2012, but partly!

 

[REWahoo]

Today was the 1st official day of not being full time. Of course, I worked full time today.

Congratulations - I hope?

My deal is that I am taking a 25% cut in compensation and getting more time off. Starting in late April ...

So you've taken a 25% haircut in compensation and won't see any reduction in your workload for four months?

I'd have to describe you as an optimist: "I've gotta keep digging, I know there must be a pony in here somewhere!"

 

[67walkon]

Wahoo, I've worked with one of these guys for more than 30 years and several others for more than 20. They're not gonna screw me and they can't fire me, so it will work out. I also don't work as many hours in a typical day-week-month-year as the younger guys, so part of it is just changing the money to reflect the reality. My actual billable time last year was probably about 3/4's of theirs.

 

[REWahoo]

Sounds good - and I suppose you certainly know where to find a good lawyer if things go sour.

 

[Retch The Grate]

Sounds like congrats in light of your earlier posts about your firm and trying to figure how to cut back on time commitment.

 

[traineeinvestor]

Congratulations on achieving an amicable resolution.

It sounds like quite an unusual arrangement for a lawyer who is still doing client facing work - most of the lawyers I know who have gone part time have had to be pretty flexible in their working hours/days to accomodate client demands.

 

[Moscyn]

Congrats. Sounds like you have a comfortable arrangement. I wouldn't be surprised if you stay in partial ER for some time.

 

[67walkon]

Train, I have agreed to be very flexible. It depends on the work load, but much of what we do these days is on the phone or internet. Frankly, it doesn't feel like a good deal right now, as Wahoo points out, but come April, when I can start spending half the months away, it will feel like a really good deal. Partial ER might work just fine, so long as we don't get needy for money.

Ciao.