Why law firms need to understand burn out: a solicitor-therapist’s perspective
The legal profession is built on precision, diligence, and relentless commitment. Yet the human cost of sustaining those standards has never been higher.
According to LawCare’s 2025 Life in the Law report, 59% of legal professionals report poor mental wellbeing, 78% regularly work beyond contracted hours, and 50% experience anxiety some or all of the time.
As both a Partner in a leading law firm and a Solution-Focused Hypnotherapist, I see the impact of these pressures from both sides. Lawyers are not lacking in resilience — but the structure of modern legal practice too often undermines it. The question we must ask is: can we build a legal culture where wellbeing and performance coexist?
Understanding Burnout in the Legal Profession
The World Health Organisation recognises burnout as an occupational syndrome caused by unmanaged workplace stress. It’s not a failure to cope — it’s a physiological response to prolonged pressure.
Research from Yale University shows that even everyday work triggers — like the steady stream of client emails — can activate the body’s “fight or flight” response. In the legal context, where stakes are high and deadlines immovable, that constant activation leads to exhaustion, emotional detachment, and reduced professional efficacy.
Left unchecked, burnout erodes the very qualities that define excellent legal work: focus, empathy, and sound judgment.
The Business Case for Law Firm Wellbeing
Investing in wellbeing is not just a moral imperative — it’s a commercial one.
The UK economy loses £26 billion annually to stress and mental illness (Mindful Business Charter, 2025).
Within law firms, absenteeism and presenteeism cost over 10% of total staffing budgets.
Highly stressed lawyers are 11 times more likely to make mistakes, often leading to insurance claims exceeding £250,000 (WONE White Paper, 2025).
Moreover, clients are increasingly evaluating firms’ wellbeing practices as part of their ESG and governance assessments. Demonstrating a credible law firm wellbeing strategy is now a marker of leadership and integrity.
How Legal Leaders Can Prevent Burnout
Sustainable practice demands proactive cultural change, starting from the top.
Practical steps include:
Training partners and managers in wellbeing-aware leadership.
Embedding Mindful Business Charter principles across firm policies.
Delivering burnout and vicarious trauma training for all staff.
Revising performance metrics to value innovation and collaboration alongside billable hours.
Normalising flexible working to support both productivity and psychological safety.
Wellbeing must be more than an HR initiative — it needs executive sponsorship and active modelling by senior leaders to truly transform firm culture.
Specialist In-House Burnout Training for Law Firms
My in-house burnout prevention training is tailored specifically for the legal sector. Drawing on my experience as both a mental capacity solicitor working with clients experiencing distress and trauma, and as a Solution-Focused Hypnotherapist, I have designed a tailored interactive and engaging training session that combines neuroscience, psychology, and practical tools for sustainable performance.
Participants learn how to:
Recognise early signs of burnout and vicarious trauma
Understand the neurophysiology of stress and resilience
Apply evidence-based techniques for emotional regulation and focus
Reconnect with core professional values and purpose
The training can be delivered firm-wide or within teams and aligns with Mindful Business Charter standards and Law Care’s guidance on mental health in law firms.
The Future of Law Depends on Wellbeing
Burnout is not inevitable in law — but addressing it requires intentional, informed action. Firms that invest in wellbeing aren’t just doing the right thing; they are safeguarding their performance, reputation, and people.
By embedding wellbeing into firm strategy, we protect not only individual lawyers — but the future of the profession itself.
