Your voice matters - help improve mental health in the legal sector

Be part of Life in the Law 2025

By Niamh Warnock and Trish McLellan

The legal sector is known for its high-pressure environment, long hours, and demanding workloads, all of which can take a toll on mental health and wellbeing. In 2021, LawCare’s first Life in the Law survey provided ground breaking insight into these issues. More than 1,700 legal professionals shared their experiences, exposing widespread burnout, stress, and stigma. While the findings prompted important conversations and called for meaningful change, significant issues remain. With Life in the Law 2025, we now have an opportunity to reassess where we are and uncover what still needs to be addressed.

Your voice adds strength to the findings. The research isn’t just about data. It’s about people in the legal sector; their experiences, challenges, and successes. Your insights – whether as an individual navigating the challenges of legal work or as part of an organisation striving to support colleagues – are vital.

Some might ask why further surveys are necessary, especially when the issues seem well known. The answer is simple: we need up to date data to measure progress and understand whether the sector is moving in the right direction. Your voice ensures that the current realities of working in law are heard and that the changes needed to better support mental health and wellbeing are based on lived experiences. By taking part, you’re contributing to improving working practices in the law for you, your peers and future generations of legal professionals.

Help shape the future of the legal sector

The Life in the Law 2025 surveys will provide a detailed, up-to-date understanding of mental health and wellbeing in the legal sector. The results from this research will go beyond simply identifying problems – they will help shape the future of work in the legal sector by providing evidence-based recommendations for how individuals and organisations can drive meaningful change. From how to measure wellbeing in your workplace, to improving workplace practices, to tackling stigma and fostering a healthier culture, your input will directly inform the solutions that can make life in the law better for everyone.

Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare, says: “Life in the Law 2025 is a real opportunity to improve mental health in the legal sector. These surveys are open to everyone working in law, and they’ll help us understand why people in our sector may be experiencing poor mental health and what practical steps organisations and individuals can take to prevent this. By sharing your experiences, you’re contributing to building a more supportive and healthier working environment for the future. Together, we can make a real difference.”

The findings will be released in October 2025. They will provide a platform for understanding how collectively we tackle systemic factors in law that can undermine mental health and wellbeing and provide practical recommendations as to how we can address these to achieve positive change.

What do the surveys ask about:

Working hours and job pressure
Burnout
Mental health and wellbeing at work
Bullying, harassment, and discrimination
Future aspirations in the legal sector
Current workplace measures to support mental health and wellbeing

Who should take part?

We’re inviting everyone in the legal sector – both individuals and organisations – to take part. There are two surveys:

For individuals: This survey is open to anyone working in any capacity in the legal sector, from solicitors and barristers to support staff and paralegals. By sharing personal experiences, challenges and areas for improvement your input will provide a crucial perspective. Every response adds a vital additional angle, providing valuable depth and breadth to the findings.
For legal organisations: This survey is for workplaces such as law firms, chambers, and in-house legal departments, to find out more about mental health initiatives, policies and practices and their impact on wellbeing. It’s aimed at those responsible for people management or wellbeing. By participating, organisations can help produce evidence based best practice guidance that supports mental health and contributes to healthy work environments.

The surveys are anonymous, take around 10 to15 minutes to complete, and are open to people in the UK, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.

Take part now

Both surveys are available until Friday 21 March 2025, and are entirely confidential. Your responses will remain anonymous, ensuring you can share your experiences openly and honestly.

In just 10 to 15 minutes, you can help shape the future of mental health and wellbeing in the legal sector. These surveys provide a chance to make your voice heard and drive meaningful change. Let’s build on the momentum of the 2021 research and work towards a sector that prioritises mental health and wellbeing.