Is work-life balance achievable in the law?

Work-life balance – finding the ideal balance between time spent at work and time spent doing things you enjoy and with loved ones – is an increasingly hot topic.

Often, finding that healthy balance can seem like something of a rarity in the legal industry.

Using the above definition, many lawyers and other legal professionals might find they aren’t achieving the balance they want. The legal profession has carved out a reputation for its “knuckle down and get on with it” nature – especially among top corporate firms.

Lawyers are notorious for their long hours and demanding workload. According to the Law Society of Scotland’s 2018 Profile of the Profession survey, one factor that led more than half of respondents to consider leaving the profession in the previous five years was work-life balance; a third who replied counted it as their most important career goal for the five years ahead.

It’s not surprising that the legal industry is especially vulnerable to the pressures of time. Time in the office can be eaten up rapidly, preparing for a trial or meeting clients, commuting, in meetings and conferences, waiting for court, and more, all while trying to stay on top of admin and bill for hours. With often long working days involved, it can feel like your time is never truly your own – and even when you find some personal time, it’s not enough.

One thing that can help lawyers to find a greater balance in their workday is legal technology. By freeing solicitors from time-consuming and repetitive administrative tasks (such as tallying up billable hours for the month), legal software can allow them to spend their days on high-value tasks that genuinely move the needle, like meeting with clients and reviewing contacts.

Choosing a legal software with secure mobile capabilities, such as Clio, also means that legal professionals can use waiting times before court and while commuting to update and share documents without worrying about a data breach.

They can automate repetitive tasks to free up time for billable work and grow the firm more efficiently. With 90+ UK integrations, Clio reduces double entry between the vital software solutions law firms use every day, such as calendaring, email, and accounting software.

Of course, technology alone won’t change a firm’s culture. However, it can be the catalyst for providing solicitors with increased work-life balance, allowing them to be more efficient at what they do in a fraction of the time.