A Singaporean survey of lawyers has shown that fewer than half the 300 lawyers would encourage their children to take up the law.

That result differed markedly from the 2021 survey, which had 77 per cent of the lawyers saying they would do the opposite.

This year’s survey had 52 per cent saying ‘nay’.

The poll also found nearly six out of 10 respondents listed digitalisation as the development most likely to impact their firms in the future. Globalisation was the second-most cited factor, chosen by about 34 per cent of respondents.

The poll was undertaken by German research firm Statista in conjunction with The Straits Times.

The most common reasons given by the lawyers who would not encourage their children to enter the legal profession included the long and stressful hours in a profession they say is now asking too much of lawyers.

The ‘crazy hours’ and the fact that lawyers were increasingly seen as service providers without the respect they once obtained, were also prominent responses.

There were, said others, easier ways to make a living.

One said “no” because he “is a good parent”, another said there were too many lawyers, while a third cited the high attrition rate.