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Our new report, Disloyal lawyers: has the partner track lost its lustre, shows that lawyers at different stages of their careers seek a greater work-life balance. Our survey of more than 500+ lawyers found work-life balance was the most importance factor when looking to move firms. 

Here, we look at the reasons lawyers demand a better work-life balance, explore how this rising demand impacts the sector, and discuss how firms can meet that demand.

The pandemic and shifting priorities

The explains that employees wanted a work-life reset. Changes in the world since the pandemic have forced people to re-examine their priorities. According to , more than two-thirds (67%) of employees are re-evaluating how they spend their time and 72% believe employers need to rethink what work means to employees. 

The pandemic was the catalyst. The changes in working life, hastened by necessity, shifted attitudes towards work. Remote working seemed a quick solution to a short-term problem, but instead led to long-term questions around the role of the office, the flexibility of organisations, and the best routes to productivity.

Lawyers, like many other employees, didn't want to return to the office. They wanted more flexibility, and law firms had to level with that new reality. Many realised these changes were mutually beneficial. For example, the found 77% of remote employees felt more productive, and the  found employees faced fewer distractions when working from home. Furthermore, the report, which depends on data gathered from over 800,000 employees at companies found not only greater productivity from flexible remote workers, but improved wellbeing, reduced personal costs, and greater satisfaction.

The Great Resignation and reduced stigma

Our report revealed: 'Most firms experienced several waves of staff turnover during and directly after the pandemic. The Great Resignation saw lawyers readjust their career priorities, especially regarding work-life balance.' The Great Resignation was not only a , but it also helped to shift priorities. For example, the Great Resignation reduced stigma around moving companies, or law firms.

In our report, one trainee solicitor said: 'There is less stigma around changing firms, especially if you can often validate your reasoning.' Long gone are the days when lawyers spent their entire career at one firm. According to the report, 61% of legal leaders recognise that declining loyalty is due to increased job mobility. It's self-perpetuating: lawyers move because there's less stigma and there's less stigma because lawyers are moving.

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Changing legal structures and new opportunities

Another shift in the legal sector, particularly appealing to younger lawyers, revolves around changing legal structures. The partnership model, once dominant across the sector, no longer has the same pull. New legal services such as platform law firms and alternative legal service providers proved disruptive and offered new routes for progression.

But, according to our report, most associates (75%) were happy staying in Private Practice. This shows that, while many are happy to remain in Private Practice, and lawyers are not actively searching for new models, they're open to alternatives.

As there's now very little remaining stigma around moving firms or moving to new legal service providers, it's clear that the pandemic, followed by the Great Resignation, led to a reduction of loyalty in the sector. And the many new options available to lawyers creates a culture of openness where lawyers are constantly considering their options.

Demographics and the longevity of work

Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at , notices key demographics shaping the future of work and highlights how an ageing population means people are going to work into their 70s and are becoming increasingly concerned about work-life balance.

of work-life balance. Millennials, as discussed by , are demanding a better work-life balance due to increasing responsibilities. And older generations, aware they'll be working until they're older, push for a better work-life balance to cater to their needs. Law firms thus need to think more broadly about improving work-life balance, as it impacts all demographics, and likely will continue.

Leaders should set new standards for a work-life balance that will trickly down, says Mark Smith, Director of Strategic Markets of ½Û×ÓÊÓƵ. They should create bespoke and varied career paths that avoid the inevitability of the partnership model; implement tech that automates tedious tasks, particularly taking advantage of generative AI; guarantee flexible options and embrace remote working; and they should aim to appeal to the needs of individual lawyers, regardless of presumed generational differences.

Discover the full findings in our free report, Disloyal lawyers: has the partner track lost its lustre? Download today!