LawCare’s new Life in the Law 2025 report highlights the opportunity to build a legal sector that values its people and protects their mental health and wellbeing at work. This is fundamental to the profession’s ability to administer justice and uphold the rule of law.
The report sets out practical steps towards a healthier future and shows how, with strong leadership and decisive action, wellbeing can be embedded into everyday legal practice.
From January to March 2025, LawCare surveyed individuals and organisations across the sector about how working in law is affecting mental health and wellbeing. The findings confirm both the scale of the challenge and the urgency for action:
- 56% said they could see themselves leaving their current workplace within the next five years, with 32% saying they could leave the sector entirely.
- Nearly 60% reported poor mental wellbeing.
- Almost 79% said they regularly work beyond their contracted hours.
Only 31% of people who managed others said that their targets or billable hours were adjusted to take into account the time they need to spend managing others or undertaking appropriate training.
Report recommendations
Without decisive action from leaders, the sector risks losing people, declining mental health, and a loss of public trust and confidence.
The report highlights the evidence-based steps that can improve working practices in legal workplaces to better protect mental health and wellbeing:
- Prevent burnout by actively managing workloads, rethinking targets and incentives, and challenging the culture of long hours.
- Prioritise and value managing people.
- Embed hybrid and flexible working practices that meet diverse needs.
- Evaluate programmes and activities that support mental health and wellbeing at work to ensure they deliver real impact.
- Equip people joining the sector with the skills and knowledge they need for a sustainable legal career.
LawCare’s CEO Elizabeth Rimmer says:
“We have it in our hands to transform the way we work and build a future where people are supported to perform at their best and build sustainable careers. Thepath to prioritising mental health and wellbeing before us is clear. Now is the time for leaders to act with courage: move away from practices that normalise overwork, which risk driving people out of the sector, and take the path to a better future by valuing people management.”
Jonathan’s Voice wholeheartedly supports the recommendations and the importance of decisive action by leaders across all aspects of the legal profession, including the intellectual property sector.
A key recommendation is to prioritise and value managing people. This also makes good business sense. Email donna@jonathansvoice.org.uk to find out more about how our line manager training can benefit your organisation and your people.
Sign up here to join a LawCare webinar on Wednesday 12 November, 12 to 1pm and find out more about the report.
