Lawyer Salary

Seeking a second opinion here. I'm lucky to have found a fellow lawyer as my girlfriend; trouble is both of us are PQE 4s and we have exceeded the HDB income ceiling for ECs and the skyhigh prices of leasehold condos does not appeal to us. I'm fortunate enough to work in a international firm and the opportunity has arisen where I could lateral into its Australian office. The girlfriend is an Australian graduate and is happy to move with me while she looks for a job there. My dilemma lies in trading the comforts and familiarity of Singapore for a new challenge overseas and a very realistic chance of owning a freehold landed property in the very real sense of the word (yes, I grew up in a HDB). As an aside, Singapore is a terrible place for the sandwiched class like myself who aspire towards home ownership without being saddled with a huge mortgage.

What would you guys do in my shoes?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Seeking a second opinion here. I'm lucky to have found a fellow lawyer as my girlfriend; trouble is both of us are PQE 4s and we have exceeded the HDB income ceiling for ECs and the skyhigh prices of leasehold condos does not appeal to us. I'm fortunate enough to work in a international firm and the opportunity has arisen where I could lateral into its Australian office. The girlfriend is an Australian graduate and is happy to move with me while she looks for a job there. My dilemma lies in trading the comforts and familiarity of Singapore for a new challenge overseas and a very realistic chance of owning a freehold landed property in the very real sense of the word (yes, I grew up in a HDB). As an aside, Singapore is a terrible place for the sandwiched class like myself who aspire towards home ownership without being saddled with a huge mortgage.

What would you guys do in my shoes?

To each and their own really. I'm in Singapore just to take care of my parents and my spouse's parents. Otherwise I'll move really. Singapore is quite the shithole nowadays

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Seeking a second opinion here. I'm lucky to have found a fellow lawyer as my girlfriend; trouble is both of us are PQE 4s and we have exceeded the HDB income ceiling for ECs and the skyhigh prices of leasehold condos does not appeal to us. I'm fortunate enough to work in a international firm and the opportunity has arisen where I could lateral into its Australian office. The girlfriend is an Australian graduate and is happy to move with me while she looks for a job there. My dilemma lies in trading the comforts and familiarity of Singapore for a new challenge overseas and a very realistic chance of owning a freehold landed property in the very real sense of the word (yes, I grew up in a HDB). As an aside, Singapore is a terrible place for the sandwiched class like myself who aspire towards home ownership without being saddled with a huge mortgage.

What would you guys do in my shoes?

Read this with great interest, am not a lawyer

As you are unable to purchase an EC here anyway, and do not seem particularly interested in a resale flat, why don’t you just work in Aus, and buy the property there anyway as an investment (while also living on the same property) for the time being

If both of you feel like coming back, or have to take care of family back here, you all can see if you’d like to sell the IP in aus & buy a condo back in SG

Or keep the IP in aus and buy a condo here anyway

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Seeking a second opinion here. I'm lucky to have found a fellow lawyer as my girlfriend; trouble is both of us are PQE 4s and we have exceeded the HDB income ceiling for ECs and the skyhigh prices of leasehold condos does not appeal to us. I'm fortunate enough to work in a international firm and the opportunity has arisen where I could lateral into its Australian office. The girlfriend is an Australian graduate and is happy to move with me while she looks for a job there. My dilemma lies in trading the comforts and familiarity of Singapore for a new challenge overseas and a very realistic chance of owning a freehold landed property in the very real sense of the word (yes, I grew up in a HDB). As an aside, Singapore is a terrible place for the sandwiched class like myself who aspire towards home ownership without being saddled with a huge mortgage.

What would you guys do in my shoes?

So happy to hear you have a law relationship that works.
Kudos to the girl for staying committed.
Go to Australia. If you’re 4PQE, you’re about 31?
Your gf is 29? Still young to try another jurisdiction.
Just go for it.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Seeking a second opinion here. I'm lucky to have found a fellow lawyer as my girlfriend; trouble is both of us are PQE 4s and we have exceeded the HDB income ceiling for ECs and the skyhigh prices of leasehold condos does not appeal to us. I'm fortunate enough to work in a international firm and the opportunity has arisen where I could lateral into its Australian office. The girlfriend is an Australian graduate and is happy to move with me while she looks for a job there. My dilemma lies in trading the comforts and familiarity of Singapore for a new challenge overseas and a very realistic chance of owning a freehold landed property in the very real sense of the word (yes, I grew up in a HDB). As an aside, Singapore is a terrible place for the sandwiched class like myself who aspire towards home ownership without being saddled with a huge mortgage.

What would you guys do in my shoes?

As long as the majority keeps voting the incumbent in young professional couples like yourself are well and truly screwed. The current government does not see you as a demographic that it should pay heed to, which is folly because it is human capital like yourself on which this country is founded.

I agree with the other posters. Go and let us know if the grass is indeed greener on the other side.

New part b list is out ://sile.edu.sg/pdf/ExB18-Commendation_and_Prize_Awards_Lists_for_SILE_Websi te.pdf

Top student from CC. Seems baker has lost out to CC this year

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Seeking a second opinion here. I'm lucky to have found a fellow lawyer as my girlfriend; trouble is both of us are PQE 4s and we have exceeded the HDB income ceiling for ECs and the skyhigh prices of leasehold condos does not appeal to us. I'm fortunate enough to work in a international firm and the opportunity has arisen where I could lateral into its Australian office. The girlfriend is an Australian graduate and is happy to move with me while she looks for a job there. My dilemma lies in trading the comforts and familiarity of Singapore for a new challenge overseas and a very realistic chance of owning a freehold landed property in the very real sense of the word (yes, I grew up in a HDB). As an aside, Singapore is a terrible place for the sandwiched class like myself who aspire towards home ownership without being saddled with a huge mortgage.

What would you guys do in my shoes?

Is this a serious question? Get out of Singapore while you still can. Australia is a much nicer place to live and work in. The way employees are treated there is worlds apart from how employees are treated in Singapore.

But if you're making the move because you think you can own a home without a huge mortgage, I wouldn't get my hopes up. Presumably, you will be relocating to the big cities in Australia (because those are where the law firms are), and housing prices there have shot through the roof in recent years - a lot of it due to foreign (ie. Chinese) investment. No wonder they're so racist over there.

Male lawyer aged 35 highly successful earning north of $40k a month (excluding bonus).
However, the trade off is I’m still single while most of my peers are married.

For those who moved from a local firm to an international firm, how many years of PQE did it set you back?

What about those who transfer right after they finish their practice training - do they continue to be trainees in the international firms (and for how long)?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Male lawyer aged 35 highly successful earning north of $40k a month (excluding bonus).
However, the trade off is I’m still single while most of my peers are married.

Was it worth it? Do you have regrets?

Not a troll...genuinely interested to know. I am a junior lawyer contemplating this existential question as well. Lunches and dinners at the desk, late nights, burnt weekends and holidays, borderline depression half the time, non-existent social life.