Scots LawCare users up in 2014, against national fall

More calls to the LawCare helpline were received from Scottish solicitors and trainees in 2014 than in the previous year, despite an overall fall in the total, according to the detailed breakdown of calls for 2014 now issued by the lawyers' support charity .

Calls from Scottish solicitors accounted for 8% of the 473 new case files opened during the year, compared with 7% of the 515 opened in 2013, and those from Scottish trainees for a further 3%. The figures, and especially the trainee statistic, are disproportionately high compared with the 54% of calls received from solicitors in England & Wales (and 5% for those in the Republic of Ireland), and the 7% made by trainees in England & Wales.

The drop across the British Isles as a whole followed a 36% rise in 2013 compared with 2012, to the second highest total ever. In 2014 a further 1,577 calls were made or received in follow-up related to these original calls (1,810 in 2013), and 158 (reported) calls were made by LawCare supporters to lawyers they had been asked to assist (77 in 2013).

Notably, the percentage in Scotland who said they were seeking help for stress-related issues, at 84%, was higher than the British Isles figure (75%). Across LawCare's whole area, the other issues reported were depression (12%), alcohol (5%) and miscellaneous problems making up the remaining 8%.

Of the 63% (297 callers) who identified a specific cause for their problem, the largest number blamed workload (27%, up from 22% in 2013), followed by disciplinary issues at 20% (up from 16%), bullying at 15% (down from 19%), financial problems at 14% (down from 17%), then redundancy at 9% (6%), ethical issues at 8% (9%), relationship problems at 4% (6%) and bereavement at 3% (3%).

Two thirds (66%) of callers were female (60% in 2013), and 36% were trainees or had been qualified five years or less (40% in 2013).

Practice areas of callers reporting stress, with 2013 figures in brackets, were:
General high street/private client – 24% (23%)
Litigation – 22% (22%)
Commercial – 18% (18%)
Conveyancing – 10% (9%)
Family Law – 9% (10%)
Criminal – 7% (11%)
Employment – 3% (4%)
Probate – 3% (3%)
Immigration – 2% (-)

LawCare's helpline is open 365 days a year on 0800 279 6888.
www.lawcare.org.uk