My Third Legal Job and My Mental Health: Murtaugh Law Year 3
As I mentioned last time, I started working with a depression coach during the winter. He really just provided support and accountability. I felt that it helped me push through and get be back on track with my productivity. I also hired a full time assistant for the first time. I did not hire an experienced paralegal. But I did hire someone with more administrative work experience. The first two months with the new employee went great and then things changed drastically. By May, we both agreed that it would not work out and the employee resigned.
By this point, I was completely relying on my own clients. All of the cases that I had taken with me from the firm had already been settled and I had received the payment. By the middle of the year, I experienced financial struggles for the first time. Even though I was having some really good months, the revenue was still very up and down. The increased cost of hiring a more experienced assistant and not getting a return on that investment was a big hit. It meant that I could not pay myself some payrolls.
I was in the process of hiring a replacement and everything came to a sudden halt. The financial problems became an issue with me continuing the business. I felt I needed to give up the dream and go back to a steady paycheck. I did not hire a replacement and I started applying for jobs. But I really was not committed to finding a new job. And my mental health took a sharp decline. It triggered an episode of intense depression. Trying to continue to operate Murtaugh Law on my own while applying for new jobs was too much stress for me to handle. I remember one day I came home from lunch and my arm and hand went numb. Each day I went into the office was incredibly painful and it took all of my energy just to make it through the day. I felt like I had reverted back to where I was when I was pacing in the back stairwell.
I knew I really wanted to keep going with Murtaugh Law. It was what I really enjoyed doing. And it felt terrible to quit, especially only three years in. After a couple of months and no job offers, I decided to give Murtaugh Law a second chance.
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