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The legal industry continues to hold a reputation for long hours, heavy workloads, and high billing targets. These immense demands on staff have created a survive or thrive culture within the industry.

are committed to supporting and promoting mental wellbeing across the legal community in the UK. Providing direct support services and information with the aim to promote good mental health and wellbeing in legal workplaces, driving change in education, training and practice and ultimately reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. We spoke with Elizabeth Rimmer, Chief Executive to find out how firms can make a difference:

Have you seen an increase in the number of people contacting? Are there any trends you have noticed?

We have seen a 35% increase in the number of people contacting us for support over the first quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year. It is too early in the year to see any trends emerging; however, we expect that the increase in contacts maybe related to the continued challenges of the hybrid working model and the uncertain times in which we live.

What are the key issues people contact you about and how have these changed in post-Covid world? Have you seen an improvement?

Stress, anxiety, and bullying/harassment are usually the top three reasons legal professionals reach out to us for support. However, for the first-time last year, this changed. Over the course of 2022, the number of people who contacted us with career concerns (22%), equalled the number of people who contacted us about stress (22%); they were the joint top reasons people contacted us.  This willingness to question their life in the law may be partly a response to the pandemic: legal professionals could be reflecting on what they want from life and work and be less willing to stay in careers or workplaces that don’t meet their needs and expectations and could be undermining their mental health. There were a wide range of career concerns raised, from struggles with training to becoming a lawyer to wanting to retire early. We are also hearing from people who don’t see law as a lifelong career. Career concerns continue to be an issue in 2023 and are the third most common reason people are contacting us so far this year.

Have you seen a change in the demographics of those contacting you?

Usually about 60% of our support contacts are from those in training, or up to five years PQE and this is not significantly changing. We know from our Life in the Law study published in 2021 that junior lawyers scored the highest for burnout. Together with women, legal professionals with disabilities and Black, Asian, and other legal professionals, are the people most negatively impacted by the working practices and culture in law. 35% of our support contacts are Black, Asian, or other ethnic legal professionals and about 65% are women.

What we are seeing a change in though, is the number of men contacting us for support, this is increasing. We have been specifically working to encourage more men to contact us, and overall, this increased by 3% last year, and so far for the first quarter of this year we have seen an increase of 28% in men contacting us, compared to the same quarter last year. So, we are thrilled that our strategy to reach more men is working!

What are your top tips for creating a culture which places an importance on mental health and wellbeing?

My top tip for creating a culture that prioritises mental health and wellbeing, is to put your people first. People are your greatest asset in any law firm, chambers or inhouse team and creating an environment where your people feel valued, respected, a sense of belonging, are key to a culture that supports mental wellbeing. Too often in law, people are seen as a commodity that deliver legal services, rather than as individuals who come with a wide range of experiences and perspectives, which go beyond just their legal skills.

Embrace the diversity of your people, when they raise concerns listen to them and act on them, be open and transparent about how people get promoted or work assigned, build that sense that everyone understands how things get done in your workplace. For those with responsibility for others, make sure they are given the time and skill development support they need to manage others well.

We know from our Life in the Law research, that the most valued mental health support in the workplace is regular catch ups, as it provides a space to raise concerns and talk about them. If you have regular one to ones with the people you manage, they are more likely to tell you about a mistake they have made or if they are feeling overloaded.

Are there any key programmes/resources people should know about?

We have a lot of great resources on our website for both individuals on how to manage their mental wellbeing but also for employers on the steps they can take to create a healthy organisation. We have also developed some excellent training, Fit for Law with the Open University, and the University of Sheffield, on how to understand the impact legal work can have on you and how to work well with clients and colleagues.  I would also recommend our podcast series The Legal Mind, now in its third season, we have talked with a wide range of legal practitioners and experts about all sorts of things from how to get a good night’s sleep to good supervision. And if you want to keep up to date on our news and resources sign up to our newsletter. Visit to find out more.

How do we overcome the stigma around mental health?

We need to keep talking about mental health in legal workplaces and make the resources and support available visible. I think one of the most powerful ways to overcome stigma is for people, if they feel comfortable, to share their stories about their mental health struggles.

Many legal professionals find it hard to speak up about their mental health at work, for fear that it will be a career limiting step or they will be seen as not cut out for the job, or believe they are the only person who feels this way.  If you feel like this and you hear a colleague speak up or read a feature in the legal media, it can pave the way for you to speak up and seek help. Despite the significant rise in awareness about mental health, the stigma that surrounds it is still a huge challenge. The most impactful mental health events I have been to, have been where legal professionals, particularly senior ones, have talked about their mental health publicly, it gives permission to others to do so too.

What steps can law firms do to improve their employees work life balance?

This is the elephant in the room question! The number one step firms can take to improve their staff work life balance is to stop expecting them to reach billing targets that are impossible to achieve without working evenings and weekends.