Commercial property lawyer by day, top DJ in Ibiza by night – Ben Fairhurst on living the dream surrounded by sun, sea, music and lease reviews

I've often thought that there comes a moment in most lawyers' lives where they seriously question why they chose to become a lawyer. Whether that moment comes during a very late night in the office, getting off the phone from an extremely demanding client, or a dressing down from a partner, there can be times where a life in law seems somewhat unattractive to say the least.

I remember when I was younger that I had two dreams; one was to work in an international law firm in London and the other was to DJ at the world's best clubs and parties. These 'career choices' are in many ways mutually exclusive. Or at least, that is what I used to think…

I grew up in Perth, Australia and qualified into practice in March 2004. In 2005, the law allowed me to travel to London, and I started off working as a paralegal at Eversheds before moving on to McGrigors a year later. I completed the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test in 2007 and, during 2008, I was formally admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales.

While my legal career as a commercial property lawyer was progressing nicely, however, my DJ career had understandably taken a back seat. I'd had the pleasure of DJing at some great places and parties, including London's Ministry of Sound and Pacha nightclubs, together with sets in Ibiza and Berlin, but the reality was that being a full-time lawyer left little time for much else.

In 2013, I really started to question whether being a full-time lawyer was the right path for me. A very close friend of mine was living in Ibiza and, during September 2013, I visited him. While on a boat on the Mediterranean, with the sun shining, the music pumping and a sea of happy faces all around me, I had a bit of an epiphany – why couldn't I live a life like this?

I think that a lot of things in life are about commitment. You really have to take the bull by the horns and commit to a course of action. Once you do that, it is amazing how many things start to fall into place. I'm not sure if I believe that you can manifest changes in your life just by thinking differently, but it certainly seemed to work for me.

On that boat party in 2013, I remember turning to my friend and saying: "I'm going to quit my job, move to Ibiza, start a new record label and give DJing a real crack". I moved to Ibiza the following year, and have genuinely have not looked back since. I started the record label Lucky Life Music at the end of 2014, and things are progressing better than I could have ever hoped.

On 10 April this year, the record label took over the world's longest running and biggest club brand for one night at Pacha, Ibiza. To say I was proud is a massive understatement. I've also now DJ'd as 'Ben Fhurst' at some of the world's best clubs, including Pacha, Space and the iconic Pikes Hotel.

However, while I am now committed to DJing and to the record label, I am extremely conscious of the competitive nature of the new industry I have selected. I never wanted to leave the law per se, I just wanted to work within the law in a different way.

Enter Lawyers On Demand (LOD). From the moment I went to the interview at Berwin Leighton Paisner's offices and went through their rigorous testing procedures, I was struck very much by how different the team at LOD viewed their lawyers. They realise that some lawyers strive for a different way of working outside of the usual law firm model, and they bend over backwards to give you the support to make that happen. I have always enjoyed playing with words and reading, which is part of the reason why I became a lawyer. Even though I want a DJ career, this doesn't mean I should give up on the law.

I know I am the envy of many of my lawyer friends, because I have the ability to choose when I do legal work. To say this is empowering is another massive understatement. It is not just about the freedom to choose (although this is a great part of it), the nature of the work I am being offered is of a very high level. I have worked with well-known clients on big deals, and my legal CV only continues to grow in strength. I also benefit from added financial security, which lets me focus on my DJing without worrying about my next pay cheque.

In a nutshell, I now live in paradise and, from here, I am able to pursue two wildly different careers. I am just sorry I didn't hear about LOD sooner…

This article originally appeared on lodlaw.com and has been republished for the Turning Points hub, an online career development resource from Legal Week in association with Berwin Leighton Paisner.