Home

LawCare 2020 figures: Sharp increase in legal professionals seeking help for anxiety

The number of legal professionals contacting the charity LawCare for emotional support continues to rise year on year, with 738 legal professionals seeking help in 2020, a rise of 9% on the previous year.

The charity received 964 calls, webchats, and emails to their support service in 2020. The most common problems cited were stress (23%), anxiety (15%), bullying (10%), depression (10%) and worries about career development (10%). The number of people contacting LawCare experiencing anxiety has seen the biggest increase - from 45 people in 2019 to 111 last year.

Support (1) Insta

The majority of those who contacted the support service were women (69%). 50% were trainees/pupils, or had been qualified less than five years, and a further 6% were law students.

From March 2020, 34% of all calls, emails and webchats to the LawCare support service had a COVID element. Of these, the most common issues reported were:

  • Worsening of existing mental health issues (13%)
  • Not being permitted to work from home (12%)
  • Struggling to adapt to WFH due to poor supervision, procedures, or provision of equipment (11%)
  • Feeling isolated (11%)
  • Being overloaded with work, typically because colleagues had been furloughed (9%)

There were also practical issues related to childcare, relationship strain, redundancy or inability to find a job (including job offers made before COVID being withdrawn) and financial concerns. LawCare also heard from legal professionals being asked to work while furloughed.

Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare, said: ‘Our support service continues to grow and help more people year on year. 2020 was a challenging year for most, we are not surprised that anxiety increased at a time of great worry and uncertainty.  In addition our website traffic increased by 50% and we allocated more peer supporters and funded more counselling sessions last year than ever before.  We expect demand to continue to grow in 2021 as legal professionals continue to navigate the challenges presented by COVID-19.’

Anyone working in the legal industry including support staff can contact LawCare for free, confidential, emotional support on 0800 279 6888, email [email protected] or visit lawcare.org.uk

For more 2020 statistics the full report is here

We're here to listen...without judgement

Contact our free, confidential, emotional support service for the legal sector
0800 279 6888
Email our support team [email protected]

Your Stories 

Real stories of people in the legal community who have experienced stress, depression, anxiety and more.

  • Istock 640180442 Super (1)

    My journey to an ADHD and autism diagnosis

    "As a woman, I, like many other autistic and ADHD women, learnt to mask my traits and so I went undiagnosed for 32 years."

    Read more
  • Rm Photo

    How I coped with anxiety

    "I felt really unwell – heart rate rising, breathing out of control, nausea, and an overwhelming desire to get out of the car."

    Read more
  • Pexels Darius Krause 2253938

    How I coped with stress

    "I collapsed in the office mid-deal, suffering from exhaustion."

    Read more
  • Shutter Stock Bought July 2024

    How I coped with occupational burnout

    Eric's story shows how recognising and addressing occupational burnout is crucial for mental health in the legal sector. He shares his journey and coping strategies, highlighting the importance of self-awareness and seeking support.

    Read more

Sign up to receive our newsletter.