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Balancing leave with managing a law firm can be an overwhelming challenge for female firm owners. Drawing from her experience, one practitioner has shared a step-by-step process for successfully navigating this challenging time.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, Malisa Howard, the founder and principal of Jaide Law, shared her expert insights and a practical guide on planning a successful maternity leave while ensuring the continued success and growth of the firm she has built.
In the same episode, she discussed the challenges and obstacles female law firm owners encounter when they take maternity leave and step away from their legal practices by reflecting on her own experience.
Before going on maternity leave, Howard crafted a comprehensive step-by-step guide, offering valuable insights and practical advice for fellow female firm owners navigating a similar transition.
“I created, not intentionally, a step-by-step guide as I was going, which I’ve now put pen to paper with some tools and information to help parents visualise, plan and implement their idea, deal, leave, whatever that looks like,” she said.
Faced with a lack of readily available information on this area, Howard was inspired to create her own guide to share with other female firm owners who feel uncertain about navigating maternity leave and managing the future of their business.
“Given how hard it was to find information on this topic, I did want to create something that I could share, as these insights did ultimately enable me to take the maternity leave that I wanted,” she said.
The first key piece of advice Howard offered was to begin planning for your firm’s operations during your leave as early as possible to avoid feeling “overwhelmed or exhausted”. She expressed that the earlier you make these arrangements, “the more options you’re going to have and the smoother the transition will be”.
Recognising that financial stability is a primary concern for firm owners when planning maternity leave, Howard stated that the second step is to achieve “financial clarity” as early as possible.
To achieve this, Howard advised firm owners to verify their eligibility for the “government’s paid parental leave scheme”, noting that many miss out on these benefits due to the mistaken belief that they don’t qualify.
One of the most essential steps in planning maternity leave, according to Howard, is assessing all “weekly and monthly” responsibilities to determine and identify tasks that can be delegated or automated.
She emphasised that adopting this strategic approach is key to enabling firm owners to “step away from your business with confidence”.
Howard explained that delegation can be structured in various ways, one of which is establishing a “covering arrangement with another law firm owner”. She noted that many principals she has spoken with have successfully implemented this approach.
However, she acknowledged that this option may not be feasible for everyone, as finding another firm that “offers a similar service” or “aligns with your values” can be challenging.
Other options that Howard revealed that owners should consider include “hiring a full-time lawyer”, “engaging a locum lawyer or a contractor”, or employing “non-legal support”.
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