Where are all the lawyers going

Are lawyers looking for a career change?

At the beginning of 2022, the Singapore Law Society  announced a record number of lawyers leaving the profession during 2021. This is by no means unique to Singapore. Indeed, a study of international lawyers from February 2022 found that 54% said they were “highly likely” or “somewhat likely” to move to a new workspace by 2027. More concerning is the fact that almost half of these wanted to leave the profession altogether within this time frame. 

In absolute contradiction to the above, the Law Society announced earlier this month that the number of practicing solicitors has reached an all-time high. Does this mean that the UK needn’t worry about this emerging trend? The short answer is no.

The Great Resignation has not quite hit the legal profession within the UK. However, the problem should be viewed as more akin to a storm brewing than an imminent tsunami. This is because it is not simply international lawyers who are contemplating leaving the profession, but young international lawyers. Average satisfaction for Australian lawyers was seen to be lowest with those aged 21-30 according to a 2021 study.

For the time being, there is still demand from young, hungry professionals to become lawyers. However, the concern comes when so many of those who do qualify quickly decide that the job does not meet their expectations. This exposes the industry to a potential mass exodus should retirements from an aging population overlap with resignation en masse from younger lawyers.
Burnout within the legal profession is nothing new, and it is something the Pinsent Masons Vario team have previously focused on. But why do so many young lawyers now want to leave the profession early and what can be done to keep top talent involved?

Why are many lawyers unhappy?

It is thought that as many as 37% of UK lawyers have considered leaving their job because their role has adversely affected their mental health.

Poor work-life balance is a key contributor to the above statistic. A very modest billing target of 1,400 hours per year requires 6 hours of time recorded work per day. Though this may not sound like much, it fails to account for non-billable work, and it doesn’t allow for any annual leave (or sick leave) taken by the employee. 

Larger firms often have higher targets and 12 hour days have fast become the norm in many big city firms. Across the spectrum, it is estimated that most lawyers work between 1 and 10 hours overtime every week. Ultimately, this inevitably eats away at their family and social lives.

This leaves young lawyers feeling that they have to choose between a successful career or a social/family life. In a damning indictment of the industry, Dr Martyn Bradley of the University of Liverpool found that young fathers felt they had to fabricate meetings to disguise their need to look after their children. The perception was that these fathers feared that their continued involvement in day-to-day childcare would be seen as a lack a commitment towards their work life.

Our previous article touched on some of the challenges of balancing a high-pressure job with raising children. It is an often-overlooked aspect of a career within the legal profession and one which we invite you to delve further into.

It is also fair to say that the legal profession does not effectively manage the expectations of its new members. Fewer than 10% of lawyers working in the UK will make partner at a firm at some stage in their career. It is true that not everybody can be a partner. However, this in turn places a burden on the legal profession to offer a fulfilling career outside of simply aspiring to reach this position. At the very least, lawyers must have the perception that it does.

What’s the Solution?

Whilst the problem is complex, the solution is simple; law firms should allow the younger members of their workforce greater autonomy in their role. By allowing flexible working, you make it easier for lawyers to balance family, social and work life in better harmony.

How can We Help?

The Flexible Legal Services branch of Pinsent Masons Vario empowers lawyers at all seniority levels, providing a freelance legal service that works for lawyer and client alike. This is particularly appreciated by more junior lawyers when compared to peers in more traditional roles.

Vario’s highly skilled freelancers are placed into businesses on an assignment basis meaning that they can dictate when they are looking for work (and what work they are looking for). They can be utilised by clients as a source of instant support adding value to their teams as soon as they are needed.