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Hello everyone. Just wanted to note that I am female! Also, current status is that I have essentially been given the ultimatum of move or end of relationship. I am FI and willing to move, although I will have no job to move to at this point. What do you think I should do?

Thanks to everyone, especially Santiago. You have given me a lot to think about.

Hi everyone. It's been quite some time, so I thought I would give an update. I ended up staying in the high $ position, cross-country commuting every 3-4 weeks. Relationship has suffered dramatically and could be on the verge of ending. Financially, I am in great shape, but it has come at an...

Thanks again for the input. I do have the option of reducing my hours (and compensation) to 60% or 80%, but on the "make hay" theory, I have tried to stay at 100% to maximize my income while I am still here. What do you think of the alternative scenario (big pay cut for possibly rewarding...

Thanks, everyone, for the extremely valuable and insightful responses. Gumby, thanks for sharing your decision. We have a lot in common. I am a lawyer as well, and I am thinking of moving to more meaningful government work. How have things gone in your new position? Has it been more...

Thanks for the feedback. I realize that 1 year does not seem like a long time, but this job is pretty toxic at this point. The decision I am unable to make is whether I should put up with a job that is very bad for my morale and self-esteem in order to retire in the next year, or try to find a...

clifp, thanks for the response. We don't have kids. I don't think there will be layoffs, but who knows. The golden handcuff is the high income level (roughly $1 million per year, although this year could be lower), which I can't come close to duplicating elsewhere. So each month I stay is...

Ziggy 29, my current net worth is about $4 million; about $250,000 is in home equity. The rest is either in cash/investments or is illiquid until I leave my current job (lump sum pension payout). To be on the safe side, I would need about $120,000 pretax to cover expenses, including health...

Hi everyone. I am reaching a major crossroads in my life and need some encouragement. I am tied by golden handcuffs to a job I do not enjoy. Like everyone else, I lost a considerable amount in the stock market in the past year. I have not sold any shares but my net worth is down about $1...

Hi everyone. It's been a while. I ended up staying at my current job, at least for the time being. Given the financial crash this year, I am (mostly) glad I did, although cross-country commuting and living alone most of the time are no fun. Thanks again for all of your input and support...

I would love to hear from anyone who took a 6-12 month leave of absence as a trial run for ER. Did it convince you that ER was the right thing to do? Were you happy to go back to w*rk? Please share your experiences. Thanks.

Eagle eye, as another 41-year old lawyer who is not exactly satisfied with my current position, I thought I should weigh in. I have the exact questions you have. The question I have not been able to answer is whether leaving my current position and taking a more "meaningful" but lower-paid...

BigBob, the AUSA job, unlike Rapoole's job, would not require much travel. Rapoole was based at DOJ in DC and had cases all over the country. An AUSA is limited to a certain district. If I stay at my present job, I will have a lot more travel, both for my cases and cross-country to see DH...

Rapoole, Thanks for the thoughtful response. It really is a 90% pay cut, actually even more than 90%. Assuming I eventually make it to the 150k mark, which will take a while given where I am starting, it would be an 80+% pay cut. I keep getting stuck on the fact that if I stay with my firm...

Rapoole, if you are still out there, I had a question. Would you really take a 90% pay cut for an AUSA position? Is it 10x better than a firm, or am I just looking at it the wrong way? Hope you are enjoying your new life!

Hi everyone. Current situation is that my current job may allow me to move to West Coast and work from there, at least for a while. That would give me some breathing room to sort things out, while still earning far more than I could earn in new position. Has anyone telecommuted or worked from...

Rapoole, thanks again. I think I am taking the leap for the AUSA position. One question -- how long does the clearance process take?

Rapoole, Thanks for the response. I'd rather not identify the office. What's your impression of Federal Defenders?

Thanks, Rapoole. I won't have to deal with the travel (I think), but it will be a big change to move from defense to prosecution. Have you known people who did defense work at big firms for 10+ years and then became federal prosecutors?

Rapoole, I am curious. What was life like as a federal prosecutor? I have the option of taking an AUSA job now, at a 90% salary cut. Is it worth giving up the big bucks in a law firm to take this job?

Maurice and Gekko, I have been reading your various posts and wonder where both of you are regarding timing of ER and how you are going about making the decision. I am in a similar financial situation to you, although not living in NYC. I am 40 (41 soon), DH is 46. Similarly stressful career...

Everyone on the board has been extremely helpful, and I thank you again for all of the advice. I now have to make a decision quickly. I have been offered a position on the West Coast that is a very good job, but the annual pay is what I would make in less than one month in my current position...

ha ha, you are hurting my feelings.

Ok everyone, one more question. There is a chance (slight) that I may be able to stay at my current position, work 1/2 time, and commute back and forth (cross-country). Is that a crazy idea? $ will be good, but the stress of commuting might be too much. Alternative is significantly less $...

deserat, you are exactly right, it is a relationship and control issue as much as a financial one. I have been the primary breadwinner and the more stable one financially. He was in school, earning almost nothing, for many years while I was working at the same job. So the idea of him being...