In addition to the time he spent writing, Sir Walter Scott had a variety of occupations during his lifetime. He was appointed sheriff depute to the county of Selkirk in his late 20s, and he was also a partner in a printing firm owned by the Ballantyne brothers. This partnership led to financial disaster later in his life.
As an adolescent, Scott was apprenticed to his father as writer to the signet (the Scottish equivalent of a solicitor), although most of his energy during this time was directed toward reading and his social life. In 1799 he was appointed sheriff depute to the county of Selkirk, a post he held for the rest of his life, and in 1806 he was appointed a clerk to the Court of Session in Edinburgh. Such positions were a financial supplement to his earnings from his published work. He also became a partner in a printing firm owned by James and John Ballantyne, a partnership that ultimately proved to be disastrous financially. In 1813 Scott managed to save the firm from bankruptcy, but this put considerable financial strain on him, pressuring him to publish work that would make money. Due to the success of The Waverley Novels, he later entered into financial agreements with the Ballantyne brothers and his publisher, Archibald Constable, based on anticipation of future earnings. When the financial collapse of 1825 caused their creditors to demand immediate payment, Constable went bankrupt and involved the Ballantynes and Scott in his ruin. Scott spent the rest of his life paying off debts, which negatively affected his later writing.