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Antiwork

Former “big firm” corporate lawyer, stopped everything to do the bare minimum working for myself

Hi everyone Throwaway account for obvious reasons. I had what so many people saw as the dream life but it was actually a nightmare. Made 6 figures working in a big law firm, had my name written on the door and the wall, years of postgrad formation and experience, specialized in a tiny field with high demand, big profile cases and clients, blablabla. I was working like a pig, often 55-60hrs weeks, you could take a shower and sleep at the office (literally). I was making the firm so much money and even though my salary was good it was greatly undervalued. Anyway, covid and other things opened my eyes on how much BS I was dealing with, the unnecessary meetings, living downtown, traffic, etc. While I was still working there I built myself a good website on Fiverr for a few hundred bucks, rented a small office in an…


Hi everyone

Throwaway account for obvious reasons. I had what so many people saw as the dream life but it was actually a nightmare. Made 6 figures working in a big law firm, had my name written on the door and the wall, years of postgrad formation and experience, specialized in a tiny field with high demand, big profile cases and clients, blablabla.

I was working like a pig, often 55-60hrs weeks, you could take a shower and sleep at the office (literally). I was making the firm so much money and even though my salary was good it was greatly undervalued.

Anyway, covid and other things opened my eyes on how much BS I was dealing with, the unnecessary meetings, living downtown, traffic, etc.

While I was still working there I built myself a good website on Fiverr for a few hundred bucks, rented a small office in an average neighbourhood, bought some office equipment and quit my position. Started working the following Monday for myself.

From the outside people think I lost my mind. My office is small and not on the 17th floor. My clients went from big companies to Mr Nobody. Turns out I have never been happier. And most shockingly, I make pretty much the same (about 5-10% less, which is negligible given how much life has improved). It is also due to high expenses at the beginning and I still see myself growing or rather being more efficient.

I pile up easy cases. Settle if possible. Fight at trial only if my time is well compensated. Get at the office twice a week at 10am and leave at noon. I am almost always home.

The bad? I don’t have a secretary, I hired an accountant for taxes…Beside that, loving doing the bare minimum for myself and not killing myself for corporate pride.

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