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Starting a law firm is never easy – but for Marial Lewis, the decision to make that leap just eight months into motherhood proved to be both bold and rewarding.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, Marial Lewis, the principal solicitor and founder of Crossover Law Group, discussed why she chose to take the plunge of opening up her own law firm during such a pivotal time in her life and how it turned out to be one of the best decisions she’s made.
While most people might choose to launch a law firm during a quieter or less demanding period in their lives, Lewis took a different path by starting hers “about eight months after I had my first baby, [which] was around COVID-19 time”.
Lewis explained that the decision came during a period of reflection, as she reconsidered her goals and how she wanted to work moving forward – now as a mother with plans to grow her family.
“I was a partner in a previous firm, and at that time, I had taken a bit of time off and just rethinking my goals, my values, how I see myself moving forward, as well as the demanding role required working for someone else whilst you’re pregnant and having kids and all of that, and unfortunately, some places are more supportive than others,” she said.
As traditional law firms shifted to remote operations during the pandemic, Lewis saw an opportunity to redefine her approach to legal practice – one that aligned more closely with her vision and what she believed productivity should look like as a lawyer.
“I was at a point where, during COVID, a lot of boutique lawyers would agree with that, but a lot of traditional law firms started running things remotely and online, which was quite different for them,” she said.
“For me, I really like that approach because I thought it is not about seeing people sitting in an office, sitting at their desk eight hours a day or 10 hours a day. That’s not how productivity worked and my values, in terms of what I wanted to do and how I wanted to run things, were sort of different from traditional law. That’s where I decided I want to start my law firm.”
Contrary to what many might assume, Lewis shared that navigating life as both a new mother and a new law firm owner wasn’t a source of stress, but rather, a surprising blessing.
“To be honest, for me it was the best timing because I wasn’t working full-time, thinking I have to go from one full-time to another full-time position. It was more like, OK, I’m gonna start doing this thing now or on the side, and I’ll take it slowly, because I know that as a new practice, things do take time to fly,” she said.
For Lewis, launching her own law firm felt like an “exciting” new venture, “rather than a burden, offering her a “break from my baby” and the demands of early motherhood.
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