Guest post by Shams Rahman, outgoing chair of The Solicitor’s Charity [1] and a partner at London firm Edwin Coe
Rahman: Support is a shared responsibility
All good things come to an end. But as I prepare to hand over the mantle of chair of The Solicitor’s Charity next month to I. Stephanie Boyce, former president of the Law Society, it doesn’t feel like an end. Instead, it feels like a wonderful journey, where brilliant progress has been made – and will continue.
Having been a trustee of The Solicitors’ Charity for 10 years and chair for the last two, lots has happened. No one moment stands out from the rest – our work stretches well beyond any single initiative or headline.
The experience has allowed me to see how the profession changes under pressure and how the charity has had to evolve alongside it, guided by a steady commitment to professionalism, leadership and care – something I have always carried in my professional work and brought to my leadership.
The legal profession is often defined by competence and resilience. Yet one of the clearest truths I have learned is that lawyers are not immune to life’s disruptions. Illness, job loss, financial strain and personal crisis do not distinguish between junior and senior, or between those who advise others for a living and those being advised.
Bad things happen to good people, including highly capable solicitors who never expected to need help themselves and have devoted their professional life to helping others.
That reality is reflected clearly in the charity’s recent data. The Big Report published last year showed a 33% increase in the number of solicitors supported in a single year, alongside almost £1m directed towards wellbeing support.
That growth is not happening in a vacuum. It reflects the cost-of-living pressures many people are facing, the lingering impact of uncertainty on the profession, and the cumulative strain of demanding workloads.
It also reflects something else. More people now know who we are and what we do, and feel able to come forward. We’ve done immense work in building our 170-year-old brand and reputation to become known as the leading support for solicitors, whatever their needs may be.
Over recent years, there has been a marked growth in demand for mental health and wellbeing support. Funded referrals increased across all areas, from emotional and physical health to professional and financial wellbeing.
Many of those seeking help are mid-career, often at a point when their professional lives are meant to feel secure. Instead, they find themselves juggling competing pressures, sometimes compounded by disability, illness or sudden changes in employment.
What has become increasingly clear is that no single organisation can respond to this complexity alone. The charity’s approach has therefore shifted towards deeper collaboration with other charities and specialist partners.
Working alongside organisations offering counselling, mental health support, career transition guidance and practical advice has strengthened what we can provide. It recognises that people do not experience hardship in neat categories, and support should not be structured that way either.
Our networks and relationships in law are often a superpower and the same is true for the charity.
That collaborative mindset has also been recognised externally. Awards celebrating partnership and shared impact have mattered not because of the recognition itself, but because they validate a belief that working together leads to better outcomes.
Leadership in this space is not about doing more alone, but about connecting expertise and learning from one another. Being named charity collaboration of the year at the Association of Charitable Organisation’s annual awards for our partnership with LawCare was a meaningful moment. It recognised years of quiet, practical collaboration around mental health and wellbeing, and reinforced the idea that charities supporting the legal profession are strongest when they work together rather than in parallel.
Another area of progress I am particularly proud of is the charity’s regional growth. Over the past decade, we have worked hard to ensure support is not perceived as London centric.
Stronger relationships with local law societies have helped extend our reach, ensuring solicitors across England and Wales know that help is available to them. Support from organisations like Bournemouth & District Law Society demonstrates how local commitment can underpin national impact.
The growing number of people coming to us from outside London is a sign of trust, not crisis, and also reflects an acknowledgement of regional diversity outside of the capital.
Some of the most powerful moments during my time as chair have been the least visible. Helping someone regain independence by funding essential equipment such as a specialist wheelchair; supporting a solicitor who has lost their job and needs time, space, training and guidance to find a way forward again.
These interventions rarely make headlines but they change lives. They are reminders that the charity exists to respond with dignity, discretion and care when someone reaches out.
There have also been events and initiatives that have played a role in shifting the culture around support.
Activities that bring the profession together, whether through fundraising walks like the London Legal Walk, volunteering days and activities, or open conversations about wellbeing, create connection as well as awareness.
Support really is a shared responsibility and caring for one another is part of professional life, not separate from it.
None of this work would be possible without the support of individuals and firms who understand the charity’s role as a safety net for the profession.
The backing of my partners at Edwin Coe has been especially meaningful. Their support goes beyond financial contribution. It reflects trust in me, willingness to open their eyes and see what’s possible, and sets an example by engaging openly and constructively.
This exceptional experience has been humbling and a privilege, and also helped to strengthen my professional skills as a senior leader, particularly as a contentious trusts partner.
So I step back with confidence in the charity’s direction. It is reaching more people, responding to more complex needs, and doing so through collaboration rather than isolation.
The profession is changing, and the pressures it faces are real. But the growing openness around support, and the strength of the networks now in place, give me real optimism for what comes next.
That, for me, is the lasting lesson. Care, when exercised with professionalism and humility, strengthens the profession rather than weakens it.
I’m so proud of the last few years, and excited to see what happens next.