At first I said I will only stay in biglaw long enough to pay off my student loans (done). Then it was just long enough for a down payment on a house (done). Then long enough to be completely out of debt, other than my mortgage (done). Then to have a substantial nest-egg saved (done). At that point, I was close enough to making partner that I thought I might as well stick around to get the title (done). Through all of this, I always said that what I really want to do is go in-house.
Now I'm 8 years in. The in-house job market for my skillset has been tough, but I finally got the call that I've been waiting for. A great local tech company finally got big enough that they need someone in-house to oversee litigation/investigations. It's exactly the job I wanted. Successful company, great culture, role suited to my practice, and pay is not bad-- total comp north of $300K. I can support my family on it with room to spare.
This should be a no brainer. I've always planned to leave biglaw at some point, and I made sure I would be financially stable enough to afford it. Now my exit is here and it looks great. But I keep worrying about the money I'll leave behind. The new salary is honestly better than I had hoped, but still, it's waaaaay less than the $400K+ salary and $115K+ bonus I'm making now,
The in-house job sounds more interesting, better lifestyle, more time for my family, more time for my hobbies, less stress, better culture, and on and on. The only thing that makes me hesitate is the \~$200K per year paycut I'll be taking. I know it's just money, but damn it's a lot of money.
If you've been in this spot before, please calm my neuroses. Tell me that I'll be making plenty in my new role, and that the transition to an interesting job with a great lifestyle will more than make up for the paycut. Please tell me I won't miss the biglaw money!