Stress and career worries were among the leading issues
UK legal mental health charity LawCare has revealed that 70 percent of those who reached out for mental health support were women lawyers, reported the Law Society Gazette.
Stress, career worries, and anxiety were the leading concerns cited by 41 percent, 39 percent, and 34 percent of those who availed of LawCare’s support services, respectively. According to the charity’s “Impact Report 2025,” 42 percent, 13 percent, and 9 percent of those supported were private practice solicitors, trainees, and in-house solicitors, respectively.
Paralegals and barristers or pupil barristers comprised 9 and 7 percent of those supported. Overall, the number of people supported by LawCare hit 753 – the highest number it has logged. Its online chat service supported 140 people – an increase of 13 percent compared to the previous year.
The average call length was 28 minutes, while online chats lasted 43 minutes. Volunteers were on the phone for 275 minutes, while online chat support staff were active for 95 hours last year. Seventy-three people were assisted by peer supporters, 82 volunteers providing support and mentoring.
LawCare chief executive Elizabeth Rimmer said LawCare’s work in 2025 needed to be framed in the broader context in which members of the legal profession were operating.
“The current geopolitical climate is contributing to increased regulatory complexity and economic pressures. The acceleration of the adoption of AI is raising questions about the role of lawyers and the guard rails needed to ensure trust, quality and sustainability as this technology becomes more embedded in legal practice,” wrote Rimmer in the report’s foreword. “At the same time managers are under increasing pressure to meet the evolving expectations of colleagues, clients, and regulators, often with little support for themselves.”
She added that the experiences of the lawyers LawCare supported reflected “uncertain and demanding times.”
“Our support volunteers are crucial to our ability to make a difference. They are trained, supervised and committed, and bring first-hand experience of life in the law. They understand the pressure of billable hours, the fear of making mistakes, and client demands. Their understanding helps to build rapport in each contact and enables us to provide meaningful, empathetic support,” Rimmer wrote.
LawCare collaborates with legal educators, regulators, professional bodies, special interest groups, and legal practices on championing healthy legal workplaces.
