In an era where the line between work and personal life continues to blur, the legal profession finds itself at a crossroads. Recent government initiatives, such as Australia’s ‘right to disconnect’ rule and similar considerations in the UK, are challenging the deeply ingrained ‘always on’ culture that has long defined the legal industry. This shift comes as a response to mounting evidence of the toll this culture takes on lawyers’ well-being and overall quality of life. LawCare’s research paints a stark picture of the current landscape, revealing that 65% of lawyers regularly check emails outside working hours.
Elizabeth Rimmer, LawCare’s CEO and a former solicitor, highlights the psychological impact of this practice: “A lawyer who receives an email at the weekend – whether they choose to reply – will be thinking about it until Monday morning.” This constant mental engagement with work, even during ostensible downtime, underscores the urgent need for change. However, Rimmer emphasizes that meaningful transformation requires more than just policy changes; it necessitates a cultural shift led by senior leadership modelling healthier work-life boundaries.
While the prospect of legislative intervention offers hope, experts like Mila Trezza, a seasoned lawyer turned coach, caution that a multifaceted approach is crucial. “We often equate being busy with a sense of self-worth, and society tends to reward busyness over efficiency,” Trezza notes, pointing to the deeply rooted cultural attitudes that perpetuate the problem. The challenge for the legal sector lies not just in implementing new policies or technologies, but in fundamentally redefining success metrics beyond billable hours. As firms grapple with these issues, the focus must shift towards creating environments that value efficiency, well-being, and productivity in equal measure, ensuring that the pursuit of legal excellence doesn’t come at the cost of personal health and fulfilment.
Read more: The Law Society
