If you are considering a job opportunity outside of Big Law, you may be questioning whether the new salary can support your current lifestyle.  Let's face it, moving away from Big Law will likely involve a pay cut, whether you go in-house, to a boutique firm or the Government, or decide to leave the law profession altogether. There are practical steps that you can take to ensure that (1) you will feel confident enough to step away from your current position and (2) you won't need to come back because you cannot afford your lifestyle.  In other words, how can you remove the infamous "golden handcuffs"?