Stress and mental health

Working as a legal professional can be stressful, with overwhelming workloads and emotionally challenging cases. There is help if you need it.

If you need urgent help, contact Samaritans

Free helpline: 116 123 (24 hours a day, 365 days a year)

NHS guidance on dealing with a mental health crisis

Managing your workload

It’s easy to feel daunted by a heavy workload.

Breaking tasks down and knowing how to delegate can ease the stress and make it feel manageable:

Learning to manage stress

Emotional resilience is our ability to adapt to stressful situations or crises. Learn how you can build emotional resilience:

Improving your wellbeing

Practical tips to help you manage day-to-day stress:

There are also things your firm can do to support employees with stress.

Learn how to support resilience and wellbeing in the workplace

Support organisations

LawCare

Contact LawCare for free, independent and confidential emotional support for anyone in the legal community, including solicitors, support staff and concerned family members.

Call: 0800 279 6888

Email: support@lawcare.org.uk

Online chat: www.lawcare.org.uk

Law Society helpline

Call our pastoral care helpline on 020 7320 5795 if you're experiencing personal, financial, professional or employment difficulties.

We'll put you in touch with someone who can help.

Open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Mind

Contact Mind for support and advice on stress and wellbeing.

Call: 0300 123 3393

Text: 86463

Learn more about call charges

Email: info@mind.org.uk 

Open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.

Samaritans – Wellbeing in the Workplace

Samaritans' Wellbeing in the Workplace programme helps you to get skills to manage your emotional health and learn how to look out for others, before they reach crisis point.

Find out more

Online course: mental health awareness training for managers/leaders

This on demand masterclass is based on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) workplace culture guidelines for managers and leaders.

It focuses on empowering you to effectively support the wellbeing and performance of your colleagues, as well as promoting your personal effectiveness and resilience.

Online course: SRA workplace culture guidance 

This on demand masterclass summarises key recommendations and guidance in the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) workplace culture review.

It translates many of the SRA recommendations into practical frameworks to facilitate greater risk management and more effective working practices and systems.

Well-being: Being a Trainee…building blocks to a successful and rewarding career

This free online classroom with Q&A is aimed at equipping trainee solicitors to develop strategies for a healthy practice and rewarding legal career.

Date: Thursday 19 September 2024

Time: 12pm to 1pm

Cost: Free

Effective supervision supervising trainee solicitors (Thursday 11 July 2024)

The masterclass has been created based on the SRA guidelines for supervisors.

It focuses on empowering you to effectively support the performance and wellbeing of your trainees, as well as promoting your personal effectiveness and resilience. 

Recognising and managing vicarious trauma (Wednesday 3 July 2024)  

This online classroom is aimed at solicitors across all levels of PQE, who find themselves adversely affected from continuous exposure to clients who have experienced trauma.

This session is designed to help you recognise vicarious trauma and provide practical tools to support you in managing the trauma.

Listen to Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of Lawcare, on mental health, wellbeing and the return to the office

Learn how to build your confidence
 by watching this 90-minute webinar.

Chris Owen discusses why lawyers are seeking a more effective from the profession to increased levels of anxiety post-pandemic.

Caroline Harper suggests five ways to embrace change and think more positively about the future.