The Damage Done to The Long-Hours Lawyer

The Damage Done to The Long-Hours Lawyer

Work hours for lawyers are the stuff of legend, we know that. Long hours, short marriages, high stress, low health.

The worries about depression and other health issues have long been something that has troubled law societies and others, particularly in tougher times when lawyers may be required to work harder than ever.

And now Legall Week in the UK has undertaken a survey showing 82 per cent of lawyers consider that their health is harmed by the demands of their jobs. And 22 per cent of the senior lawyers, partners and senior staff, work each weekend with 10 per cent of lawyers putting in over 70 hours a week.

Those may look good for time recording and billing, but they’re not the sort of figures that will lead a to healthy life.

The research, conducted among 267 lawyers and partners in the US and UK, also shows that 11% say their physical and mental health is being damaged ‘a great deal’, while 30% say they suffer ‘quite a lot of damage’ and 41% admit to ‘a little damage’.
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A third (34%) say that they put in over 60 hours a week – and three-quarters (75%) do 50 or more. Source

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