Episode 62- Financial & Career Planning for Senior Attorneys

Counsel to Counsel - Career Advice for Lawyers

This past year has been one of great reflection for many attorneys. The lawyers I speak to are thinking more about what they want from their careers and how they can find meaning in their professionals and personal lives.

One group I'm particularly enjoying working with are senior lawyers who have 30 or more years of experience in practice. The pandemic has caused this group of attorneys to think more about existential questions (What do I really want to do the next 10-15 years? Am I ready to make a big shift? Should I cut down on my practice or leave the practice altogether and if so, how do I fill my time in meaningful ways?)

Making a career transition raises a host of issues for lawyers at any stage of their career. But financial issues are particularly salient for senior lawyers. Do I have enough to retire? When can I stop working full time? How do I protect myself and my family as I go through this transition?

In this episode, my guest Chris Cahill talks about these issues and provides a framework for thinking about the financial part of making a career transition. Chris is a financial planner who is also an attorney. A lot of his clients are now attorneys and I had Chris as a guest speaker in the Fall. Chris is much more than a money manager. He brings a host of skills to wealth management and most importantly, he understands the attorney psyche. Chris and I talk about the financial planning issues that face senior attorneys, how Chris got involved in this work, and what are the issues that are particularly challenging for attorneys in managing money.