Posted by Trish McLellan, director of engagement at LawCare [1]
McLellan: Profession needs to prioritise wellbeing
In 2021, LawCare published its first Life in the Law report [2], highlighting serious concerns about mental health across the legal sector. Four years on, Life in the Law 2025 [3] shows that many of those challenges remain, but it also offers a clear direction for how we can do better.
The findings offer a snapshot of where the sector stands today. High workloads, low psychological safety and issues like bullying and harassment are still too common. Nearly 60% of people reported poor mental wellbeing and over half are considering leaving their roles within five years.
These are concerning figures, but they also give us something crucial: the evidence that we need to make changes.
If the sector is willing to act, the opportunities to build healthier, more sustainable workplaces are well within reach. Now is the time to move beyond the data and focus on the solutions.
Shifting from reactive to proactive support
Much of the sector’s approach to mental health has been reactive – offering support once problems arise. While services like counselling, employee assistance programmes and wellbeing initiatives are valuable, they don’t address the root causes of stress and burnout.
The next step is prevention. By examining how work is structured, how teams are managed and how culture is shaped, organisations can tackle pressures before they take hold. Embedding supportive practices into everyday work helps create workplaces where people feel valued, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.
Make people management a priority
One of the clearest findings in Life in the Law 2025 is the vital role managers play in workplace wellbeing. From allocating work and giving feedback to building trust and shaping culture, managers have a big impact on how people perform and feel about their jobs.
Yet this part of legal practice is often overlooked. Only 55% of those with managerial responsibilities had received any training to support them, and most said their targets were not adjusted to account for management responsibilities.
This needs to change. Managing people is a skill that requires training, support and recognition. Investing in developing mangers makes work better for teams and strengthens the organisation as a whole.
Management responsibilities should also be reflected in targets, performance reviews and career progression, sending a clear message that people leadership matters.
Rethink workloads and expectations
The legal sector’s long-hours culture remains one of the biggest threats to wellbeing. Success should not depend on constant availability or working beyond capacity.
Firms and organisations must manage workloads proactively by reviewing staffing levels, reassessing performance targets, and questioning incentives that encourage overwork. Leaders should set realistic expectations and measure performance on more than billable hours.
Sustainable workloads help protect mental health, improve performance, and increase retention.
Embrace flexibility
The shift to remote and hybrid working during the pandemic showed that flexibility can boost wellbeing, work-life balance and inclusion. Yet some workplaces are reconsidering their approach to hybrid and flexible working, reverting to pre-pandemic norms.
The challenge now is to design flexible approaches that work for individuals, teams and organisations. Done well, flexibility can reduce stress, improve engagement, and make legal careers more accessible to a wider range of people.
Keep learning and improving
The report highlights the importance of ongoing learning – not just in legal skills but also in communication, leadership and wellbeing. Training should prepare people for real-world legal work and help them protect their mental health throughout their careers.
It’s also essential to regularly review how well mental health and wellbeing initiatives are working. What supports one team may not support another, but by learning and adapting, organisations can make meaningful progress.
Make mental health a core business priority
Finally, mental health and wellbeing must move from the margins to the centre of organisational strategy. It is not a ‘nice to have’ or a PR exercise: it is essential in recruitment, retention, reputation and performance.
Leaders at every level – from partners and chambers heads to HR teams and regulators – have a key role to play. By embedding preventative measures and modelling healthy behaviours, they can drive cultural change and make wellbeing part of everyday legal practice.
Looking ahead: a sector fit for the future
The UK legal sector is recognised for its high standards and global reputation. But if it is to remain strong and sustainable, it must also prioritise the wellbeing of the people who make this possible. The next generation is seeking workplaces that value mental health and the sector must evolve to meet that expectation.
Life in the Law 2025 provides the evidence and a clear direction for change. If we act now – by managing workloads, valuing people management, embracing flexibility, improving training and making wellbeing a strategic priority – we can build a legal sector that is healthy, inclusive and sustainable.
The future of law depends on it.