What is the stress level for lawyers?

Asked by: Montana Thompson  |  Last update: June 19, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (23 votes)

Fifty-six percent of lawyers working 50 or more hours per week reported chronic stress compared to 25% of those working up to 50 hours a week. In addition, women lawyers—who are more chronically stressed—rated their financial stability and work-life balance as lower and student loan debt as higher than male lawyers.

Is being a lawyer high stress?

While lawyers might benefit from having an elite reputation and plenty of cash in the bank, it can also be incredibly stressful. Many attorneys grapple with long hours, difficult clients, and ever-increasing demands daily.

Are lawyers more stressed than doctors?

Listokin and Noonan compared Kessler 6 scores from lawyers and medical professionals (medical doctors, veterinarians, and dentists) and concluded that lawyers did endorse slightly higher distress scores than doctors, yet they found no statistically significant difference in the rates of mental illness between the two ...

How stressful is working in a law firm?

Is it stressful to work in a law firm? Working in a law firm can be very stressful, as there is often a great deal of pressure to meet deadlines, handle multiple cases, and win clients' cases. Lawyers may also be expected to work long hours and navigate internal competition for progression opportunities.

What percent of lawyers make $500,000?

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual pay for lawyers in 2022 was $135,740, with only the top 1% surpassing the $500,000 mark.

Tips for Lawyers to Manage Stress and Beat Burnout

23 related questions found

How rich is the average lawyer?

In general, the five highest-paying states for lawyers are as follows: California ($201,530) Massachusetts ($196,230) New York ($188,900)

Can lawyers make 7 figures?

Corporate Lawyer (Partner)

Though that's far from pocket change, it's certainly not landing you in the earnings tier of a millionaire. That said, corporate lawyers generally stand to make the most and can pull in seven figures a year — if they make partner.

What is the stress level of a lawyer?

Fifty-six percent of lawyers working 50 or more hours per week reported chronic stress compared to 25% of those working up to 50 hours a week.

Is being a lawyer harder than other jobs?

Lawyers are expected to provide expert advice, make critical decisions, and work under tight deadlines, all while dealing with the constant demands of clients, colleagues, and the court system. This can lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression, which are all too common in the legal profession.

Is there any work-life balance as a lawyer?

The legal industry is so focused on billable hours and the partner track that it can be difficult to feel like work-life balance is possible. Particularly for lawyers at the beginning of their careers, there is an expectation of working overtime and vying to work on big cases.

Is a doctor or lawyer harder?

Becoming a doctor would seen to be more difficult than becoming a lawyer, using educational requirements, length of studies, and financial considerations as the metrics.

Do lawyers suffer from anxiety?

Recent studies have found that lawyers are more prone to depression and anxiety than the general population.

What is the most stressful doctor job?

Emergency medicine reported the highest burnout rates among physicians, with 65% of emergency doctors experiencing burnout. Close behind were specialties like internal medicine and pediatrics.

What is the depression rate for lawyers?

A nationwide study of ~13,000 lawyers indicated that 28% experienced depression, 19% reported anxiety, 21% had alcohol use problems, and 11% had problems with drug use [3].

What is the most stressful job?

Here are some examples of the most stressful career options:
  • Physician. National average salary: $272,872 per year Primary duties: Physicians or doctors are medical professionals who treat various diseases and injuries. ...
  • Nurse. ...
  • Soldier. ...
  • Patrol officer. ...
  • Anesthesiologist. ...
  • Chief executive officer. ...
  • Lawyer. ...
  • Police officer.

Which area of law is least stressful?

1. Real estate law: the calm of contracts and closings. Picture this: a world where you're navigating through paperwork, not courtroom drama. If that sounds appealing, perhaps you should consider real estate law, arguably the zen garden of the legal profession.

What is the hardest thing about a lawyer?

12 common challenges that lawyers face
  • Outsourcing. ...
  • Law school debt. ...
  • Establishing a reputation. ...
  • Debate. ...
  • Long hours. ...
  • Challenging clients. ...
  • Work-life balance. ...
  • Occupational stress. Occupational stress refers to the sum of all challenges that a lawyer may face during their career.

How hard is the bar exam?

The bar exam is hard. In fact, it may be one of the most difficult challenges you ever embark on. You must memorize numerous laws and consume a lot of knowledge to answer questions correctly. For many, it feels like trying to hold sand in your hands, knowing that you'll inevitably lose much of it.

How much law school debt?

The average law school debt among graduates is $130,000, according to the Education Data Initiative (EDI).

How stressful is a lawyer's job?

Fast forward to actually being a lawyer, and in the real world, your job is rewarding but equally demanding. From long hours, managing client personalities, an overwhelming caseload, and pressure to win cases, it's no wonder that being a lawyer also ranks in the top 30 most stressful jobs.

What is the burnout rate for lawyers?

While more than eight out of 10 attorneys have experienced burnout at some point, those who say they are most unsatisfied say they feel burnt out 74% of the time, on average—more than twice as frequently as the most satisfied attorneys. Source: Bloomberg Law's Workload and Hours Survey from Q1 2021.

What is the easiest law to practice?

Although being a legal clerk is the easiest career path, it is only suited for beginners. Estate planning wins the most stress-free legal practice area when practicing law for lawyers. Many lawyers avoid estate planning as it is a field of law associated with death.

Can lawyers make 300k a year?

Well, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for attorneys in the US is just over $125,000. The highest-paid lawyers (10% of the legal workforce) make over $208,000 However, the top 1% of attorneys make $500,000 or more per year.

Do lawyers make 200k a year?

The median starting salary is $215,000 in 11 cities and geographic areas. They are Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Houston; Los Angeles/Orange County, California; New York City; San Diego; San Francisco; Silicon Valley in California; and the Washington, D.C., area.