You Know You’re a Lawyer Who’s Moved Back Home When…

A light-hearted listicle for the global legal elite who’ve traded BigLaw burnout for backyard BBQs.

So, you’ve made the move. You’ve swapped your daily Pret for a proper flat white, your three-hour commute for a beach run, and your “non-compete clause” for your cousin’s mate’s start-up contract. But while your passport might say you’re home, your legal muscle memory hasn’t quite caught up.

Here are the hilariously specific signs that your global legal identity is colliding with life back in the Antipodes:

1. You automatically compare everything to your London salary.

“$180k sounds great… but what’s that in pounds after rent, tax, and Pret?”

It never quite works out the way you want it to. The math doesn’t math—and yet, somehow, brunch tastes better.

2. You use “shall” unironically in documents.

Old habits die hard.

Especially when Microsoft Word keeps auto-correcting “must” back to “shall,” like some haunted ghost of magic circles past.

3. You get irrationally excited about Kiwi/Aussie avocado toast again.

“And it’s only $17?!”

After years of grey London eggs and wilted rocket, that overpriced avo-on-sourdough is practically a homecoming ritual.

4. You forget that people actually leave work at 6pm.

You keep looking around at 6:15 like,

“Wait… are we allowed to just go?”

Yes. Yes, you are. And no one will Slack you at 11pm to check the “execution copy.”

5. You still call trousers ‘pants’ and no one bats an eye.

No more wardrobe-based misunderstandings in the office.RIP the time you asked your UK colleague where they got their pants and got a formal HR warning.

6. You’re confused by how casual everything is.

You showed up to a client meeting in a full suit.

They were in chinos and RM Williams.

You took “business casual” the London way – turns out, we take it very literally down here.

7. You realise you’ve worked with half the legal market already.

You open a deal team list and think:

Didn’t I clerk with her in 2012?”

“Didn’t he date my flatmate?”

“Is that… my cousin?”

Welcome back to the grapevine.

8. You can’t stop using terms like ‘magic circle’, ‘non-competes’, or ‘without prejudice save as to costs’…

Your colleagues blink.

Then blink again.

Eventually, you start translating: “Oh sorry I mean… the good firm in London… and like, a restraint of trade?”

9. You’re simultaneously overqualified and weirdly out of touch.

You can explain cross-border enforcement risk in your sleep.

But you’ve never heard of the latest local legaltech everyone’s using.

You now fake it during demos and hope no one notices.

10. You wonder why no one’s talking about lateral hiring strategy at Friday drinks.

Instead, it’s surf forecasts, footy scores, and “which campsite has cell coverage.”

You’ve never felt so relaxed or so professionally irrelevant and honestly, you kind of love it.

11. Bonus Round: Signs You’ve Fully Reacclimated

You’ve stopped double-checking if the flat white will be good (because it always is).

You’ve joined three sports teams and are still “finding balance.”

You know your barista’s name and their dog’s name.

You haven’t said “deal fatigue” out loud in months.

We work with talented NZ and Australian-qualified lawyers making the leap back to the Southern Hemisphere after international stints, whether it’s from London, New York, Singapore or beyond. From navigating the local market to figuring out what’s next, I help you land softly (and strategically) in the southern hemisphere. For Kiwilawyers if NZ just doesn’t feel big enough we can get you within 3 hours of home in Australia – a skip across the ditch is easier than a 28 hour haul.

If you’re toying with the idea of returning or just want to know what roles are out there feel free to reach out. Always happy to chat.  Contact Tyler Wren today and take the first step toward making the move.

Vikki Cox – vcox@tylerwren.co.nz

Here at Tyler Wren, we know good people know good people. That’s why we offer a referral bonus if you refer someone to Tyler Wren, with whom we secure a new role. Click here to find out more and refer a friend: Tyler Wren Refer a Friend.

We are publishing our 2025/2026 salary guide in August so watch this space! https://tylerwren.co.nz/salary-guide/

Follow us on LinkedIn Facebook  Instagram

#LegalCareers #ReturningLawyers #AussieLawyers #KiwiLawyers #LegalRecruitment #LawJobs #BackToTheAntipodes #ExpatLawyer #LegalLife #LawFirmLife #WorkLifeBalance #LawyerHumour #LegalLinkedIn #TylerWren #TylerWrenCareers