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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I've been following this thread with some interest.  I'm a woman in biglaw and the main breadwinner.  Our pretax HHI is around 650K, with my DH bringing in around $130K of it as a non-lawyer fed.  Our financials are not super different; retirement is only $950K and 529 is only $300K total (I think OP had more on both counts), but we have about $1.8 in brokerage accounts so about the same total.  Our mortgage is higher and we have less equity, but also have some special circumstances that resulted in that -- i.e., parents who moved in with us so we can help with health issues but who happily contribute to mortgage/bills/etc -- and we left a very low mortgage ($2200) to accommodate them. We'd be happy to downsize house if my parents no longer needed the space.

My kids are 6 and 3 and I often think of leaving big law in the next 3-5 years.  I don't think I want to be a partner, but I'm fairly confident I could stay in my counsel position for a while if I wanted to do so. Part of me thinks I should just to save up, pay for life, keep doing it while it feels manageable.  Part of me would love to pursue other options (which have uncertain or certainly lower salaries) that I think I would enjoy more. The overwhelming majority of folks on this thread seem to think operating on fed salary and drawing down savings to fill the gap is insane, though, which would probably be our plan too. [/quote]

This is insane.  You have SO much money.  300k in 529s when your kids are 6 and under?  1.8 in brokerage and you are worried about living off 2 fed salaries?  Look with these numbers, you cannot complain about life work balance.  You are consciously making the decision to work your ass off in big law in order to support your lifestyle and be able to buy $900 shoes at whim (or whatever the example was people gave).  And that is a totally fine decision but you can't complain you are miserable.  It would be insanely easy to take a step back, live off 300k instead of 800k/year, and yes face a moderate change in your lifestyle but having the time to find joy in other things and maybe even enjoy your work. [/quote]

I also read the OP and thought it was crazy given the amount of savings they already have. But I understand that your view of wealth is skewed the more you amass. OP, you guys are doing well. Very well. You can absolutely live off of a fed salary. Families do it all the time and live rather well. You don't have debt and have already moved into your home so no down payment to save for.

I'm also an attorney but do not work for Big Law. I started my solo practice after giving birth to DC and opted to leave my mid-sized firm. The first few years of business building were difficult but the freedom and control of my time were well worth it. From my solo practice, I now make roughly $450K, which is better than fed but much less than big law. With DH's salary, we're at $650HHI. Again, not big law life but we're comfortable. I also WFH 100% of the time, see my kids, do all the activities, and am my own boss. The trade off was worth it. There are other options for your DH. [/quote]

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