THE WORLD OF WORKNEW ZEALAND

WHEN Sarah Moloney looks out the window of her law office in downtown Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, she sees a harbour surrounded by hills and colonial-style houses. A year ago she was practising law in Croydon. Like many New Zealanders Sarah took a year out to travel across the world on her way to London, after working as a lawyer for four years in Wellington.

On her return, her previous job at the 25-person litigation firm, Izard Weston, was still open for her.

A typical day Sarah lives in one of Wellington's outer suburbs, near the sea. Every morning she relies on public transport to reach work by 8am. Despite the hi-tech office set-up, Sarah relies on a dictaphone and secretary to type everything: "It's archaic, but I'm being charged out at $165 per hour (GBP 60) and to write a letter takes me five times longer than dictating it." Unlike the British system, New Zealand lawyers train as both barristers and solicitors. Although court work is a highlight for her, Sarah spends only four weeks of the year in court. Most days are office-based, as her preferred method of communicating with clients is by phone and email. Two partners within Izard Weston provide her with work relating to the media and maritime fields. "I used to work every Sunday. But I'm now making more money for the firm and working fewer hours. I think it's just a matter of becoming more efficient." Work usually ends around 7pm some friends work past 10pm. Cost of living After five years since being admitted as both a barrister and solicitor, Sarah earns NZ$55,000-$65,000 per year (GBP 19,600-GBP 23,200). It's double the average New Zealand wage and the standard salary for a lawyer of her experience. Rent is reasonable, while food and basics are comparable to London prices. Sarah pays NZ$100 per week (around GBP 35) to share a house. Evenings and weekends While some people in Wellington spend their evenings water-skiing or mountain-biking, Sarah prefers eating out or meeting friends for drinks after work. "Wellington's small, but has an enormous amount to offer. It has a very big cafe scene, all the benefits of a waterfront and a large theatre and creative scene." While a population of 300,000 doesn't provide the scope that London offers, the standard of living is higher. What does the future hold? "In five years, I'd like to have spent six months working overseas within a corporation. If I'm still in a law firm, I don't know if I'd choose to be a partner. But I would like to have been asked."

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