Half of women working in legal services say their current working pattern is unsustainable for their long-term health.
A majority (67%) of women lawyers have considered moving jobs or taking a career break due to health and wellbeing issues, new research from the Next 100 Years project reveals.
The survey of more than 500 women in the profession found that 85% had experienced health and wellbeing issues over the past five years that had impacted their work.
Health impacts included stress (83%) burnout (53%) and anxiety (71%) with many respondents dealing with multiple issues.
Almost a third (29%) had been affected by the menopause and a quarter by menstruation-related symptoms, while baby loss, fertility issues, and pregnancy-related symptoms were also cited.
The majority (70%) had experienced frequent, ongoing exhaustion or low energy, not fully relieved by rest over the last year.
Despite the scale of the health and wellbeing issues experienced, 43% of women said they did not feel they could openly discuss them at work without negative consequences.
Fewer than half (42%) felt their employer took the health and wellbeing of female employees seriously and a third felt it was not a significant focus for their organisation.
The biggest health and wellbeing challenge identified was balancing work with caring responsibilities, cited by 42%.
Poor leadership or line management came a distant second (16%) followed by long hours and a lack of understanding of women’s health issues (both selected by 11% of respondents).
The survey report, supported by LawCare, RPC and Goodbody Wellness, makes a series of recommendations, the most fundamental of which is that legal services organisations treat wellbeing as a structural issue, not a benefits question.
The report states: “Wellbeing programmes, apps, and workshops are not a substitute for structural change. Organisations should audit the working patterns, billing models, and cultural expectations that drive health challenges”.
Dana Denis-Smith, founder of the Next 100 Years and CEO of Obelisk Support, said: “These stark findings demonstrate the scale of the health and wellbeing issues women face and reflect the quiet, accumulated cost of years working in conditions that damage health, with insufficient support from employers.
“Many firms are taking health and wellbeing seriously but good intentions and wellness programmes are not enough. We need to see change in the underlying architecture – the hours, the billing model, the cultural expectations and the absence of targeted support.”
LawCare CEO, Elizabeth Rimmer, said: “This report is a worrying reminder of the impact workplace pressures can have on women’s mental health in the legal sector. Stress, burnout and exhaustion shouldn’t just be accepted as part of the job, and it’s concerning to see how many women are thinking about stepping away from the profession.
“There is an urgent need for workplaces to take action to address the structural and cultural factors that impact women to retain them in the sector. This matters for its long-term sustainability.”
Rachel Pears, associate director and responsible business & employment counsel at RPC, said: “The research demonstrates a pattern: exhaustion that becomes normalised; health and wellbeing concerns that are managed quietly and alone; and working practices that feel increasingly hard to sustain. When talented professionals start to question whether their career is compatible with good health, that is a collective problem that requires a collective response.”
The survey was carried out using Survey Monkey during March and April 2026. Responses were received from 533 female legal professionals, from trainees through to partners.
