New LawCare report
A mental health charity has supported more people in the legal sector than ever before, with trainee solicitors among those reaching out for help in significant numbers.
LawCare’s latest Impact Report reveals it supported 753 people last year, surpassing even the levels seen during the pandemic in 2020. Trainee solicitors made up 13% of those seeking support, second only to solicitors in private practice who accounted for 42% of contacts. Four percent were law students.
The most common issues driving people to reach out were stress (41%), career concerns (39%) and anxiety (34%), a combination that will resonate with anyone who has lived through the pressures of a training contract.
Online chat usage grew by 13%, with 140 people supported via that channel, suggesting younger and more digitally-savvy members of the profession may be finding it a more accessible first step than picking up the phone.
The charity’s 82 peer supporters provided 73 people with ongoing one-to-one support throughout the year. Calls averaged 28 minutes while online chats ran to 43 minutes, with volunteers collectively spending 275 hours on the phone and 95 hours on chat.
Those contacting the helpline rated their wellbeing at an average of just 2.2 out of 10 before getting in touch, rising to just over 6.0 immediately after and reaching 7.4 three months later. How listened to and understood callers felt scored 9.1 out of 10.
The findings sit alongside the separately published Life in the Law 2025 research, which found that nearly 60% of legal professionals reported poor mental wellbeing, more than half were considering leaving their workplace, and a third were thinking about quitting the sector entirely.
Chief executive Elizabeth Rimmer pointed to geopolitical uncertainty, economic pressure and the rapid adoption of AI as factors adding to the demands placed on legal professionals at every level, warning that the need for “trusted, accessible and sector-specific support” had never been greater.
Struggling with the stress of work? Contact LawCare via its helpline or live chat.