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Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 7:37 pm
by Anonymous User
Just got my official offer letter from a lower V-100 firm in a secondary market and it said that we will be paid monthly. They paid us twice a month this summer. Has anyone heard of this?

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 7:41 pm
by bk1
I have seen at least 1 firm (as well as several other employers) have different pay frequencies for different types of employees. I'm not sure why they do it, but they do do it.

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 7:44 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:Just got my official offer letter from a lower V-100 firm in a secondary market and it said that we will be paid monthly. They paid us twice a month this summer. Has anyone heard of this?
My firm paid us twice a month as summers and once a month as actual associates, so yes, it does happen.

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 7:46 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Just got my official offer letter from a lower V-100 firm in a secondary market and it said that we will be paid monthly. They paid us twice a month this summer. Has anyone heard of this?
My firm paid us twice a month as summers and once a month as actual associates, so yes, it does happen.
It just seems strange and I'm not seeing the advantage to this system. How was adjusting to getting paid only once a month?

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 7:50 pm
by bk1
Are you really expecting it to be hard to budget your spending based on getting a nearly 5 figure check once a month as opposed to getting smaller but still large checks twice a month?

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 7:54 pm
by Anonymous User
bk1 wrote:Are you really expecting it to be hard to budget your spending based on getting a nearly 5 figure check once a month as opposed to getting smaller but still large checks twice a month?

Yes, yes I am.

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 8:00 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Just got my official offer letter from a lower V-100 firm in a secondary market and it said that we will be paid monthly. They paid us twice a month this summer. Has anyone heard of this?
My firm paid us twice a month as summers and once a month as actual associates, so yes, it does happen.
It just seems strange and I'm not seeing the advantage to this system. How was adjusting to getting paid only once a month?
No idea what the advantage is on their part (other than making more in interest by keeping some cash in the bank for an extra couple weeks each month, but interest is like nothing these days so who knows). After that first couple months I had enough of a cushion that it didn't really matter to me. Makes that one day a month pretty sweet to open my account and see a big direct deposit, which helps if my morale is flagging.

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 8:06 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Just got my official offer letter from a lower V-100 firm in a secondary market and it said that we will be paid monthly. They paid us twice a month this summer. Has anyone heard of this?
My firm paid us twice a month as summers and once a month as actual associates, so yes, it does happen.
It just seems strange and I'm not seeing the advantage to this system. How was adjusting to getting paid only once a month?
No idea what the advantage is on their part (other than making more in interest by keeping some cash in the bank for an extra couple weeks each month, but interest is like nothing these days so who knows). After that first couple months I had enough of a cushion that it didn't really matter to me. Makes that one day a month pretty sweet to open my account and see a big direct deposit, which helps if my morale is flagging.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. I know it will be fine, I just thought it was odd.

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 8:10 pm
by 84651846190
Anonymous User wrote:
bk1 wrote:Are you really expecting it to be hard to budget your spending based on getting a nearly 5 figure check once a month as opposed to getting smaller but still large checks twice a month?
Yes, yes I am.
Jesus Christ. Exercise some modicum of control over your spending.

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 9:10 pm
by Pokemon
Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
bk1 wrote:Are you really expecting it to be hard to budget your spending based on getting a nearly 5 figure check once a month as opposed to getting smaller but still large checks twice a month?
Yes, yes I am.
Jesus Christ. Exercise some modicum of control over your spending.

Tbf, it is kind of a fair concern. Plenty of people do not get bar loans and struggle until that first pay check. Having to wait for an extra two weeks is quite a deal.

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 9:23 pm
by bk1
Pokemon wrote:Tbf, it is kind of a fair concern. Plenty of people do not get bar loans and struggle until that first pay check. Having to wait for an extra two weeks is quite a deal.
This is a generous interpretation of what seem to be OP's concerns.

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 10:22 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Just got my official offer letter from a lower V-100 firm in a secondary market and it said that we will be paid monthly. They paid us twice a month this summer. Has anyone heard of this?
My firm paid us twice a month as summers and once a month as actual associates, so yes, it does happen.
It just seems strange and I'm not seeing the advantage to this system. How was adjusting to getting paid only once a month?
No idea what the advantage is on their part (other than making more in interest by keeping some cash in the bank for an extra couple weeks each month, but interest is like nothing these days so who knows)
Seems obvious that there must be some cost savings from having to process payroll once a month rather than twice or more.

I'm pretty sure the US is unique or close to it in how short the pay periods are here. People get paid monthly in much of the world (and the standard unit for evaluating income is the monthly salary, not yearly income. No one in the regions of the world I'm familiar with would say they earn $160,000 a year, instead of $13,333 a month).

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 10:24 pm
by sublime
..

Re: Paid Monthly in Big Law?

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:30 pm
by Anonymous User
Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
bk1 wrote:Are you really expecting it to be hard to budget your spending based on getting a nearly 5 figure check once a month as opposed to getting smaller but still large checks twice a month?
Yes, yes I am.
Jesus Christ. Exercise some modicum of control over your spending.

Must.ball.so.hard.though....