A work-life balance is challenging for many professionals, and lawyers are no exception. In fact, less than half of lawyers report being satisfied with their work-life balance.
So, where’s the best place for a lawyer to start to maintain their well-being and ability to practice law?
You need to first evaluate your current situation. Spend some time thinking about your typical day and ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you find yourself thinking about work constantly?
- Are you consistently answering client calls after 5pm or on the weekends?
- Are you skipping out on sleep to catch up with your workload?
3 challenges lawyers face with work-life balance
1: Long hours
The daily struggle to meet billable hour goals while completing non-billable work can be grueling. It’s no wonder lawyers work 40+ hours a week, with those in larger firms averaging 66 hours.
The pressure to meet deadlines and client expectations means lawyers routinely bring their work home. This makes shutting off impossible and explains why burnout is increasing among attorneys.
For many lawyers, it doesn’t stop when the workweek ends. Nearly three in four lawyers admit to making themselves available to clients on the weekends.
Our top tip: Prioritize and organize
Start by establishing limits for working hours. What is your cut-off time when work ends and home life starts? Are certain hours/days important for you to be fully present with family or hobbies?
It’s also worth thinking about your ‘peak productivity’ times. For some, this will be early hours before the phone calls start coming in. For others, this might be when the kids are at school. Identify your best hours and block this time to tackle your most complex tasks.
2: Administrative overload
This is a problem across the entire legal sector, with the average lawyer only billing 2.5 hours of an 8-hour workday. That means close to 70% of the workday is going elsewhere.
Our top tip: Delegate where you can
Are you spending most of your day doing work that a paralegal or associate could complete? If so, your time could be better utilized. That’s where delegation comes in.
Delegating is often negatively viewed in the workplace and, at times, can feel more like a hindrance than a help.
Delegating is vital for lawyers to keep on top of their workload and improve efficiencies within the firm. Look at your daily tasks and ask yourself, “Am I the right person for this job or is someone else better suited to this task?” While the idea might be frightening, McKinsey estimates that 23% of lawyers’ work has the potential for automation.
3: Lack of control
The pandemic introduced a more flexible way of working than what was typical in the legal field. However, for many, this was short-lived and traditional in-office expectations resumed. This lack of autonomy can make it challenging for lawyers to strike a good work-life balance.
Our top tip: Look for flexible options
Think about your personal commitments and consider what type of work schedule would align with that.
A recent study discovered that more than a quarter of lawyers want to work remotely full-time. It’s no surprise then that 30% of those leaving or considering leaving their firm are doing so for more flexibility and the option to work remotely.
Be mindful, however, that working from home can have the opposite effect on your work-life balance. Two-thirds of lawyers who had “flexible” working were found to be working longer days. If you choose to work from home to improve your work-life balance, make sure it’s doing precisely that.
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