The Rise of the Consultant Solicitor: Why More Lawyers Are Leaving the Traditional Model Behind

For decades, the legal profession has operated on a single, rigid structure: the employee–employer model. A model built around hierarchy, billable hours, partnership ladders and the expectation that lawyers must “pay their dues” before they are permitted to enjoy any real autonomy or financial reward.

But the landscape of modern legal practice is shifting. Lawyers today are asking different questions about balance, flexibility, wellbeing, and genuine career ownership. Increasingly, the traditional law firm model no longer aligns with the expectations or needs of the modern practitioner.

This is where the Consultant Solicitor model has emerged as a transformative alternative, offering lawyers the freedom of self-employment with the security, infrastructure and brand of an established firm. And at EAS Legal, this model isn’t just an option — it has become one of the core pillars of how we support talented lawyers across Australia.

Why the Traditional Law Firm Model Is Losing Its Appeal

The traditional structure of a law firm is grounded in predictability and hierarchy. Lawyers work fixed hours, meet billable targets, and are paid a salary regardless of the revenue they personally generate. While this model has advantages for some, it has also created structural issues that are now more visible than ever.

Many lawyers find themselves working longer hours because their time is dictated by billing requirements rather than client outcomes. Flexibility is limited, with many firms still favouring office-based work and set schedules. Administrative tasks such as billing, file management and compliance consume a significant portion of the day, often after hours.

Career progression is another concern. Partnership is no longer the stable, guaranteed pathway it once was. For many, it relies on internal politics, timing and firm profitability — factors that have nothing to do with talent or work ethic. As a result, lawyers often feel undervalued, under-rewarded and unable to control their own professional direction.

The legal profession has evolved, and lawyers themselves have evolved with it. They want a career that reflects their capabilities, not one that limits them.

The Consultant Solicitor Model: A Modern Alternative

The consultant model, now widely used in the UK and growing rapidly in Australia, offers a fundamentally different approach. Instead of operating within the traditional employer–employee framework, consultant solicitors run their own practice under the umbrella of a larger firm, receiving support without sacrificing autonomy.

At its core, the model allows lawyers to choose how they work. Consultants determine their own hours, decide whether they work remotely or in an office, and select the clients and matters they wish to take on. This level of independence is almost unheard of in the conventional law firm setting.

One of the most attractive aspects of the consultant model is the way lawyers are remunerated. Instead of a fixed salary, consultants retain a significant percentage of what they bill, often far more than they would earn under a traditional structure. This means their income directly reflects their effort and value, creating a level of financial transparency and control rare in the legal industry.

Support is not lost in this model either. Most consultant frameworks include full administrative and operational assistance: trust accounting, invoicing, compliance, IT systems, marketing, and sometimes even lead generation or referral streams. Consultants gain the freedom of self-employment without the overwhelming burden of running an entire business on their own.

Finally, the model gives lawyers ownership, not just over their work, but over their growth. They can specialise, expand, or reduce their workload depending on their personal and professional priorities. They are not tied to internal firm structures or promotional bottlenecks. Their success is truly their own.

Why EAS Legal’s Consultant Solicitor Program Stands Out

At EAS Legal, we recognised early that the legal profession was changing, and we built our Consultant Solicitor Program to meet the needs of modern practitioners.

Rather than offering a stripped-back or hands-off arrangement, we provide a complete national support system. Our consultants have access to trust accounting services, billing and accounts assistance, compliance oversight, IT systems, marketing and design teams, administrative support, and physical office facilities across multiple states. This allows them to focus entirely on legal work while still benefiting from the strength of a large national brand.

Unlike the traditional model, we impose no billable-hour targets. Our consultants decide what success looks like for them, whether that means building a high-volume practice or taking on select matters while maintaining lifestyle balance.

We also offer a strong referral ecosystem. Our national 24/7 phone line, reputation in criminal law, and rapidly expanding presence across commercial, family, employment and wills and estates areas allow our consultants to receive consistent high-quality enquiries from day one.

What truly distinguishes EAS Legal, however, is the culture. Collaboration, transparency and autonomy define the way we work. Consultants are not treated as fee generators, but as respected practitioners building their own sustainable careers with the support of a national team behind them. The Consultant Solicitor model is more than a trend, it is becoming a cornerstone of the future legal workforce. Lawyers are increasingly choosing autonomy over rigid employment structures, and flexible work over traditional hours. They want to be rewarded for their contribution, not constrained by outdated systems.

EAS Legal’s program provides the framework for lawyers to build meaningful, financially rewarding and personally sustainable careers. For those who want more control, more freedom and more value from their profession, this model offers a pathway forward, one that aligns with modern expectations and empowers lawyers to take ownership of their future.

The EAS Legal Consultant Solicitor Program is open to experienced practitioners across Australia who want to build their own practice with the support of a national firm.

If you’d like to talk about how the model works, or what it could mean for your career, we’re always happy to have a confidential conversation.