When Financial Fear Meets a Calling for Change: Practical Guidance for Attorneys at a Crossroads
This past week marked a deeply meaningful milestone for me: one year since I stepped away from my role as a litigator to grow the mindfulness work that had profoundly changed the way I live my life.
In my Wednesday post, I shared a bit of the backstory: Two decades into litigation, my caseload, deadlines, trials, and billable pressure were all at their peak, while I was also trying to be a present wife, mom to our three sons, and human being. I reached a point where I was overwhelmed, depleted, and living in chronic fight-or-flight.
Mindfulness helped me turn toward a healthier way of being. But when the time came to make a career shift, a new fear took center stage: Financial fear.
How would I support my family? What about my student loans? What about losing the stability of a steady paycheck I’d relied on for 20 years? Was it irresponsible to even imagine doing something different?
This week on Conscious Corner Podcast with Courtney I explored these questions with someone who understands this very real fear that shows up for so many attorneys when considering making a career change: Niraj Chhabra, CFP, MBA, CLTC, CRPC, Managing Director at Sidebar Advisors and a financial advisor who specializes in working with attorneys.
And I want to share some of the most powerful insights here because if you are standing at a similar crossroads, you are not alone.
Why So Many Attorneys Feel “Locked In” & Why You’re Not Wrong for Feeling That Way
In our conversation, Niraj said something that resonated with me:
“We often make things financially worse in our heads than they actually are on paper.”
So many attorneys stay in roles they’ve outgrown because of what they think will happen, not what is actually true.
Here are a few patterns he sees all the time (many of which mirrored my own experience):
1. Catastrophizing the “what ifs”
“If I leave, everything could fall apart.”
“If I take a pay cut, my quality of life will plummet.”
“If I start my own practice, the clients won’t come.”
Niraj has clients imagine the absolute worst-case scenario and then multiply it by ten. Almost always, they realize: They have the skills and resilience to rebuild faster than they think.
2. Confusing “what I earn” with “what I actually need”
Most lawyers have never sat down and determined what “enough” truly is. And many could take a six-figure pay cut and still maintain the same lifestyle with more freedom and health.
3. Believing security comes from the paycheck
In reality, security often comes from:
clarity
planning
a cushion
and the confidence that you’re building something aligned with who you are.
That mindset shift alone was life-changing for me.
Three Practical Steps to Create a Financial Runway (That Also Supports Your Nervous System)
One of the things Niraj and I discussed is that a financial cushion isn’t just a money tactic. It’s a mindfulness tactic. When your nervous system feels safer, you make wiser, more grounded decisions.
Here are three steps you can take this week:
1. Determine your “enough number.”
Not what you earn. Not what someone in your role “should” earn. But the number that covers:
your mortgage or rent
food and household expenses
kids’ activities
insurance
retirement contributions
Most people are shocked by the gap between what they make and what they actually need to live a full, stable life.
Mindful Reflection: Notice what stories your mind tells when you imagine “lower income.” Are they facts or fears?
2. Build a 6-12 month runway, even if you don’t know when you’ll use it.
This was pivotal for me. I saved 9-12 months of expenses before leaving law. Niraj emphasized why this matters:
It gives you time for clients to pay invoices (there is always lag time).
It prevents you from taking cases you don’t want out of desperation.
It lets you charge your worth.
It helps you make decisions from stability, not panic.
Mindful Reflection: Can I take one step this month that increases my sense of choice later?
Even $100/month into a “future freedom fund” can create a shift.
3. Get radically honest about trade-offs.
Money is only one metric. What about:
your sleep?
your joy?
your presence with your family?
your mental health?
the cost of staying in a role you’ve outgrown?
As Niraj reminded us, many attorneys don’t realize how much of their life force they are trading for income that exceeds what they actually need. Sometimes the “pay cut” buys you something priceless: your wellbeing back.
Mindful Reflection: What am I saying “yes” to that my future self might wish I had questioned?
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me One Year Before I Left My Role as a Litigator:
If you’re contemplating a shift, whether that means changing firms, going in-house, starting your own practice, or launching into a completely different field, here are a few things I want you to know:
You are not irresponsible for wanting a life that feels better.
You are not weak, a disappointment or a failure for questioning whether the current pace is sustainable.
And you don’t have to choose between financial safety and emotional wellbeing.
Mindfulness teaches us that clarity doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from giving ourselves permission to pause, to connect more deeply with ourselves, and to pursue what it is that calls for our attention and lights us up in life.
Financial planning teaches us that options come from preparing, not panicking.
Together, the two are a powerful combination.
If This Resonates with You, Here’s One Step to Take This Week:
Ask yourself: “What is one small financial action I can take that will help "Future Me" feel more free?”
It might be:
looking at your bank statements with curiosity instead of dread
setting up automatic savings
calculating your “enough number”
scheduling a conversation with someone like Niraj
or simply acknowledging, “I want something different.”
Over time small steps really do add up. They certainly did for me.
Want to Go Deeper?
You can listen to my full conversation with Niraj Chhabra on this week’s episode on Spotify or watch it on YouTube. It’s full of grounded, clear, compassionate guidance for anyone wondering what’s next.
If you’re navigating this terrain and want support building the resilience, clarity, and steadiness to make intentional decisions, this is what I help attorneys and high-stress professionals do every day. Know that you’re not alone, you're not stuck and there is always another way of being. To learn more about the ways I can support you with mindfulness, schedule a free 30-minute 1:1 call with me via Zoom.
And if you’d like a gentle place to start, you can also download my free Mindfulness E-Workbook. It’s a short, supportive guide filled with a formal practice, reflection prompts, informal tools, and next steps to help you cultivate more ease in your days.
Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday in the week ahead and many moments of joy and peace.
Warm wishes,
Courtney