Boris Ignachkov £60,000/year on OnlyFans as a law grad is pretty good!
Alaw Haf nailed her law degree at the University of Liverpool by achieving a 2:1. After graduating, she landed a few jobs at gyms, nightclubs, and retail and decided to take on an interesting non-law career.
Her modelling career lead her to acquire over 100K TikTok, 67K Instagram, and 20K Twitter followers. More than that, she was featured in “Blind Date” by 73 Degree Films and a BBC3 show “Young, Welsh & Bossin It”.
And guess what!? She is bossin’ it!
The average trainee solicitor salary in London is £40K. While average solicitor salary in London is £60K. So technically, Alaw is making solicitor salary without needing to complete the LPC and the 2-year training contract. She is also acquiring several career skills like marketing, social media management, content development, and admin skills necessary to operate a business.
There are many non-law career options available for law graduates and OnlyFans is one of them. However, such a modeling career may make it difficult for you to return to a legal career due to the stigma associated with it.
Read Alaw’s interview below for her honest opinion about her modeling career, her law school days, and the need for more inclusivity in professional employment.
What did you like the most about studying law?
My favourite part about studying law was the cases. There are some bizarre cases out there! I really enjoyed reading the facts of the cases and judgments.
What area of law did you want to practice in?
My favourite areas were Medical and Human Rights. I think Medical was my favourite not only were the cases interesting, I just learned a lot about topics such as abortion law which inspired my dissertation into researching whether the European Convention on Human Rights offers legal protection to abnormal foetuses against abortion.
What convinced you to not pursue a career in law?
I think it was the stress mainly. Solicitors and Barristers work really hard, I don’t think anyone can argue with that. I think I would find it very hard to keep work at work as I would be stressing about cases constantly. In some cases, you are someone’s lifeline and imagine if you fail to get a not guilty verdict, I just couldn’t do it, I think it would break me knowing I had failed someone. I think you have to be a very strong person mentally to work in the legal sector
Do you ever see yourself working in law after modeling? If not, why not, and where then?
I am quite realistic that I know it is highly unlikely I will be able to pursue a legal career now due to the modelling. This is something I had accepted before I started an OnlyFans and I am ok with it. It doesn’t mean I can’t still be interested in law though right? I am currently reading books on copyright law which is heavily involved in my work and I find the topic fascinating. Who knows maybe some day and in some way I might be able to work in that area of law due to my experience.
Should employers be more open-minded to non-conventional work experiences, such as OnlyFans?
In my eyes, there are two main points when I look at it;
1. I am running a successful business. I am pretty much selling a product that you can get elsewhere on the internet for free. Not only am I selling this product I am also showing skills of social media marketing and management through my social media accounts. I research and think of new ideas for unique and engaging content all the time, so that shows research and development skills. I collect receipts, send emails, organise meetings, send parcels etc so there are some admin skills. If you remove the OnlyFans element from it and remove the stigma attached to it all, I think they are job-worthy skills I have developed from the experience. It’s the stigma that stops people from being open-minded.
2. Why should my past affect the reputation of my new employer? What I’m doing isn’t illegal or harming anyone so why does it feel like it is somewhat worse than having a criminal record. I don’t think many people can say they have never sent a risqué picture of themselves at some point, should their career be over if that picture ever resurfaced? It wouldn’t be fair (obviously if it was consensual, participants were over 18+ and all other legal points!). I wouldn’t judge a firm’s reputation on the images of one of their employees, I would be judging them on their success and stats. If I was in the situation where I needed a solicitor or a barrister I think the last thing on my mind would be whether they once had an OnlyFans account or not! At the end of the day, I have accepted that this is just how it is and I have prepared myself for a future without OnlyFans in case it ever closed by attending college courses and learning new skills. I may not be able to work in the legal sector afterwards, but I am a hard worker and I am always willing to learn new skills so I believe I would still find another job.
Some lawyers work insane hours. How many hours a week do you work? Are you happy with your work/life balance?
I don’t work insane hours but the times that I work are insane. Tonight I am still working and it’s nearly 2am and I am up at 7am. My brain doesn’t really switch off because I am constantly thinking of new ideas for content, and constantly trying to organise my content. At the moment I’m trying to schedule a whole year’s worth of social media & OnlyFans content so you can imagine how long that’s taking me! I carry around a diary so whenever I get an idea for content, I can write it down as I go. I don’t work any set business times, I constantly have my phone in my hand so I’m always doing something. I’m working on my work/life balance because I want to spend more time off-screen by reading and going for walks but it’s just finding the time to fit it all in.
Do you think aspiring lawyers should also be looking at other careers?
I would never recommend for someone who aspires to have a professional career to start an OnlyFans. I have told a nursing student before that they should really re-consider making an OnlyFans because it could probably damage their future professional career whereas I could have encouraged them to go through with it and earned some money from the referral scheme but I didn’t. If they truly want to be a lawyer then go for it! But if they manage to somehow find time to develop a side income like a side business of one of their hobbies then why not. I just wouldn’t recommend doing what I do.