Ultimately, there can be a difference between the availability of roles offering defined part-time hours and roles offering the ability to work flexibly, and it’s a subtle distinction. The key is to be upfront about your situation as early as possible and approach it from the perspective of how your need for flexibility can be woven into the other benefits your experience brings to the team. You won’t win every battle but you might be surprised at just how many firms have lawyers (including partners) benefitting from flexible working arrangements. In some ways the facility to offer flexible solutions is the definition of work-life balance; it’s not about the expectation of an easy life, it’s about taking advantage of systems, policies and technologies that help you achieve the best of all worlds.