One universal truth is that everything needs to be done in moderation. That’s why a poor work-life balance can lead to burnout, no matter the industry. 

But it’s also true that people who work in certain careers are more prone to burnout than others. Educators, for example, tend to work longer hours but take fewer sick days in a year due to the nature of their jobs. Meanwhile, high-risk environments increase the level of stress that construction workers already experience. In the UK, however, lawyers particularly stand out as being among the most vulnerable to burnout.

Though the legal profession is undoubtedly an enticing one – starting salaries here average £180,000 annually – its perks come at a high cost, including overwhelming workloads, stressful client interactions, and workplace bullying. LawCare thus reports that over 69% of lawyers experience acute mental distress. 

The result? Lawyer burnout. If you work in the UK’s cutthroat legal sector, you may want to learn more about it. Read on to discover the key factors that cause it – and how you can ultimately beat lawyer burnout to make the most of what your career has to offer. 

What causes lawyer burnout?

Heavy workloads

Working overtime is the norm in the legal industry. Full-time solicitor Leah Steele finds it’s common to work up to 50 hours in just four days to meet client expectations, usually to pore over the significant number of documents and other means of correspondence required to provide the necessary services across a diverse range of practice areas. That’s especially true now that many lawyers need to compensate for the fall in billable hours. Due to rising costs causing the UK’s firms to tighten their belts, as well as the growing adoption of legal tech leaving less room for professionals to prolong project completion, these declined by 8.3% in 2023. The result is that it’s difficult for legal professionals to attain a healthy work-life balance, with Steele noting that she still had to put in hours at night, during weekends, and even after suffering a bereavement. These make lawyers more prone to experiencing stress and anxiety. 

Career expectations

Lawyers are expected to exhibit specific characteristics to be considered ‘fit’ enough for upward career mobility. London-based psychologist Catherine Sykes notes that those who make partner usually uphold high and even ‘perfectionist’ standards, keep themselves accountable, and adopt an ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset in meeting client expectations. Though these qualities help cultivate high performers and increase one’s chances of getting promoted, they can also cause lawyers to work longer hours, be more critical about their output, and be more likely to blame negative outcomes on themselves – all of which can lead to burnout. 

Lack of support

Despite the above factors imposing a significant mental burden on the industry’s professionals, law firms do little to provide comprehensive support. Though many of the UK’s firms have implemented wellness initiatives like fitness classes and ‘bring your dog to work’ days, the majority of lawyers still find it necessary to turn to third parties like LawCare to get the support they need. However, Steele notes that junior lawyers, in particular, seldom seek help from employers due to the mindset that many colleagues and superiors ‘have it worse’ than they do. They thus end up coping with burnout symptoms for longer, potentially exacerbating their effects. 

How can you beat it?

According to Dr Sykes, some early warning signs of lawyer burnout include changes in mood and a lack of interest in or energy to accomplish minor activities, including simply waking up in the morning. You may also find yourself growing more anxious and restless both at home and in the office. Once you spot these symptoms, consider beating lawyer burnout with the following tips. 

Streamline your workload

Avoid overtime by seeing which tasks you can potentially streamline with legal tech. Though it lowers billing hours, it can also help you finish work earlier and establish a healthier work-life balance. Take drafting and reviewing legal documents, one of the legal professional’s most time-consuming responsibilities. The one menial task you can streamline here is proofreading, which is why firms like Dentons use Definely’s AI-powered proofing software. It can go beyond spell checks to detect and resolve unique legal formatting issues, definition and cross-reference errors, and unattended drafting notes, eliminating the need for manual proofreading. The same goes for the discovery processes you’ll have to accomplish when preparing for a case. Nuix provides an end-to-end eDiscovery tool that can automatically retrieve, assess, and classify documents. It can thus lighten your workload by instantly removing irrelevant evidence upfront, which may be why it’s used by over 1,800 firms worldwide. 

Practise self-care

It’s important to recognise what aspects of your work as a lawyer cause you to burn out, such as high workloads and expectations. From here, use the additional time afforded you by your streamlined workflows to relieve the negative emotions they evoke. Make room in your schedule to enjoy your hobbies, exercise more often, and even get enough sleep. These activities can help you take your mind off work and relieve your stress. If your firm offers it, take full advantage of its wellness initiatives. Practising self-care in such sustainable and productive ways can effectively enhance your well-being and ward off lawyer burnout.

Seek additional support

Don’t be afraid to ask for more help if you need it. Connect with your colleagues to share tips and tricks for managing lawyer burnout. Enquire where your firm stands when it comes to following public initiatives, such as the new Labour government’s “right to switch off”. Ensuring compliance can help give you the support you need by establishing a better work-life balance. The pledge aims to preserve the UK employee’s legal right to ignore work demands outside office hours. If you need more personalised advice, you can also seek the services of a dedicated stress management coach. They’re uniquely equipped to deal with burnout, so you can turn to them if you want to more definitively identify its root causes, pick up stress management techniques specifically designed to address the stresses of the legal profession, and have someone who can motivate you to keep pushing forward if you truly wish to continue pursuing this career path.

Robert Haynes, a psychology graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, has a keen interest in the fields of mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.