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Hey everyone, so the cost of law school has been a serious deterring force for me. And I realize that much of the cost comes from the cost of living expenses. Assuming a person can get a decent scholarship (let's say 50-100k) to a T-1 school in their hometown, would it make sense to live with your parents while in law school in order to significantly cut the cost of living expense for those 3 years? (let's assume the cost of living is completely covered by parents). The debt will certainly not be as onerous in this situation but things like lack of independence and commute times could be significant cons in the equation. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this. Thank you.

Sure, why not. Your social life might suffer a bit, but if you think the benefits outweigh the negatives then go for it.

I did it for a little while. It can definitely be a drag, but it also allowed me to save over $12k a year. IMO the benefits far outweigh the cons. There's no reason to increase your debt if you don't have to do that.

Obviously it depends on a lot of factors. If you have a good relationship with your parents and you're not the type of person who needs a very active social life and space away from your parents so you can "enjoy copulation," then sure. If your relationship with your parents will add stress to your life, the cost of living in your area is generally low, and you need space for yourself for any particular reason, then it might not be a good idea.

Keep in mind that your grades will matter a lot, and if living with your parents would hurt your grades, that might have long term financial ramifications that would overshadow the short term gains that come with not paying rent for a few years.

I did this all through law school. It was not great from a social perspective, and there was definitely an adjustment period (I had my own place during college and after, so had to adjust to my parents' way of doing things, having to tell other people where I was going, etc.). That said, I saved a shitload of money during LS by doing this.

Feel free to PM me with any specific questions, or a longer form analysis of pros/cons here.

This has so many personal factors at play. My parents are lovely, but I've been living on my own too long for us to tolerate each other. Plus I wouldn't be able to get work done at their house, which would be an actual hindrance rather than help. If it would work for you though, you might as well save the money.

I don't think there is any real answer to this besides "it depends." If you have a good, easy relationship with your parents, and you are all flexible about your expectations re: sharing space, sure. Your social life might take a hit, but sparing yourself a lot of extra debt mitigates that pretty well.

I haven't lived with my parents since I was 17. A dozen years later, I think it would be really challenging (for all of us) if I were to move back in with them. They have gotten very comfortable in their empty-nest lifestyle, I am used to doing my own thing with no regard for waking anyone up during the night or scheduling things like meals/morning bathroom usage/splitting utility bills, etc. (Well, I'm married now, but handling those things with a spouse is very different from handling them with parents or roommates). My brother moved back with our parents briefly while he was waiting to buy his house, and even though he was in their basement with his own entrance and his own bathroom, it was still complicated.

How long would your commute be? If I were to go to law school in NYC I could theoretically live at home but the last thing I'd want to do after an hour standing on the subway is study.