Further education architect, fully qualified lawyer,...

Regarding architecture, I could imagine going in the direction of expert witness or construction manager. As a construction manager, my project management skills would probably help me, but likely only if self-employed or in a large corporation. Smaller companies probably prefer, I think, for example, master masons who have better craftsmanship skills. I have no reservations about self-employment, but I need to know my added value and target group exactly if I want to do that ;-) As an architect itself, I would certainly enjoy building permit planning, but whether I would do the detailed planning well... I don’t know yet ;-)

They say: it’s never too late to change. That’s only partly true.
At 50, for example, most trains have left the station; perhaps you can still jump on a freight wagon.

At 36, it's still looking better. However, the number of full semesters has already been pointed out to you.
I also don’t know if you should revive your childhood dreams... a bit of realism about your talents is, in my opinion, part of career planning (I don’t know any child who could associate the term fully qualified lawyer).
If you wait for your severance pay, you’ll be 40. Whether you still want to study then, to establish yourself somewhere as a mid- or late-40s employee, gain work experience, build a network, and then eventually become self-employed or end up in a big corporation in your mid-50s???
I find your ideas – also combined with your career wishes for big corporations/self-employment – somewhat naive, also regarding the idea of being able to pick the laurels from the professional tasks. Architect... I have never seen you post a single draft here. Not even I, ambitious as I am (the frequent reader knows I enjoy designing here), would think that architect could become my dream job... there are quite different talents for that ;)

I find the approaches mentioned above by , not necessarily mentally ticking off the usual study or apprenticeship professions, very helpful. Maybe also trying to find your current knowledge and skills in another sector, where more tasks besides IT are waiting for you.
In IT, you could simply jump – safely – into another industry.
For example, I know that the police are desperately looking for IT specialists to help analyze digital data from offenders – a completely different sector, but IT qualifications are required... however, never self-employed and not very well-paid – but an opportunity to do something completely different.

What is strange to me is to already tie down very narrow conditions to a change. That usually doesn’t work.
Dissatisfaction among high earners is often linked to not producing, too much responsibility, an expected minimum gross salary, acceptance of the career choice among friends...
I now know some people who changed: often apparently negatively from the outside. But less working hours, a different group of colleagues, fewer travel expenses compensate for the lower salary and make the person happy. However, you also have to break with familiar structures – I don’t see that in you.
But you still have some time to deal with it :)

The tax authorities are also looking for IT people, just to advertise. :)

Hehe... IT specialists seem to be in demand everywhere?!
In my example, there is actually a completely different area of responsibility behind it – for some very tempting, also to play a small part in the CSI system :cool:

School bench is clear :)
Ideally part-time. I've already done that once up to the bachelor's degree...