You're ambitious.

You want to get to the top.

Which means long hours, dedication and working in the right place.

Which means London.

Or does it?

Whatever the pros and cons of lifestyle in the capital, there seems to be a definite pre-conception among younger lawyers that, for quality of work, one location will always win out - London and perhaps even more specifically, the City itself.

For the most prestigious international corporate work or for the most high-profile mergers and acquisitions, it's arguably true - few can match the magic circle for this kind of experience - but for many other specialisations, you may, realistically, be able to leave Tube strikes, congestion charges and 'interesting' property prices behind you.

Take, for example, taxation and trust work - despite the fact that Hampstead has more millionaires than anywhere else in the country, according to a recent survey by the marketing firm, EuroDirect, not all high-worth individuals live in London.

In the same survey, Blackheath in Edinburgh came in at second place and 18 areas in Surrey made the top 100, only two behind the boroughs of London.

Even somewhere as unknown to most capital dwellers as Wilmslow in Cheshire reported 133 millionaires to Hampstead's 294 (Manchester United pay very well, apparently).

This distribution of potential clients means that a substantial Legal 500 firm like Halliwell Landau can base its private client practice in Manchester, yet still enjoy an enviable reputation for its work for clients right across the country.

The situation is similar in other major disciplines, such as IT and construction.

One candidate we recently moved out of London to specialise in IT in the Thames Valley, voiced the usual pleasure about being able to buy a decent-sized property and measuring commuting in minutes rather than hours, but also focused on the professional benefits of escaping the big city.

'People tend to forget that this is the home of IT in the UK and the springboard for many US players operating in Europe.

If you want the best clients and lots of contact with them, then this is the place to be.'

If you are even more adventurous, maintaining high-quality work experience does not mean having to limit yourself to mainland UK.

The Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey are home to a number of major practices employing as many as 600 people, most of whom compare their work favourably with that handled by some of the City's best known names.

Further afield, the prosperous offshore jurisdictions of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands are also home to well-known firms, such as Appleby Spurling Hunter, servicing what are now two of the most diverse and successful offshore financial centres in the world.

So with a little imagination, you may find that real work/life balance in the legal profession is not just a myth.

It's a reality.

Claire Cottrell and Jason Horobin are consultants at Laurence Simons International Legal Recruitment