5 Reasons Why Lawyers Are So Unhappy

Why are lawyers unhappy? A study from the Journal of Addiction Medicine in 2016 found that lawyers experience significant levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and higher rates of problematic drinking than other professional populations. Why are lawyers experiencing these challenges? We've put together a list of our top five reasons why some lawyers are unhappy.

1. Feeling disconnected from purpose

Becoming a lawyer is commonly regarded as a highly rewarding job, but many lawyers do not feel like they are making a positive impact. Some lawyers begin to feel disillusioned in their careers when many of their day-to-day tasks involve administrative work and chasing clients for payment.

"I was spending way too much time on administrative work, which was taking me away from doing what I cared about — helping other people. I felt like I was wasting so much valuable time when I could have been doing more legal work and growing my practice. I also felt conflicted chasing retainers and asking clients for more money because I felt it went against my intention of helping my clients."

2. Low decision latitude and lack of autonomy at work

Lawyers often experience high amounts of stress and low levels of control in their job, especially early in their careers. The psychological factor called low decision latitude occurs when people feel that they do not have control over significant aspects of their role. When this is combined with a high-stress environment, it can lead to negative health effects, higher divorce rates, and cause many to leave their law firm careers.

Goodlawyer's CEO and Co-Founder, Brett Colvin, experienced this when he worked as a lawyer at a large firm. He was keen to innovate and often shared ideas that he felt could improve productivity and client relationships at the firm. Unfortunately, the firm was not interested in exploring his suggestions or making changes. Their rigidity was stifling, but the breaking point for Brett came when a senior lawyer confronted him saying, "Brett, keep coming up with ideas, but keep them to yourself." Brett chose to leave a successful career at a large law firm and start Goodlawyer so he could have the freedom to build something he would be proud of.

3. Too much work unrelated to practicing law

Lawyers are often unhappy with their jobs because they are doing a lot of work that is unrelated to their role as a lawyer. They spend a lot of time on administrative tasks like billing, client management, marketing, and business development — which is not what they went to law school for.

"When I first started my firm, it was difficult to build the visibility I needed to generate more leads and jobs. It was also challenging to find the time to effectively meet and connect with my clients. I was considering expanding my social media presence to increase traffic to my firm's website, however, I lacked the expertise and budget to initiate the process."

4. Work-life balance is missing

There is a lot of pressure on lawyers to work long hours and prioritize work responsibilities above all others. Lawyers often find themselves feeling overworked regardless of whether they're in a large firm, a corporate role, or even running their own solo practice. Lacking a healthy work-life balance can lead to poor work performance, stress at home, and contributes to high rates of burnout.

"As my practice began to grow, I found that I was struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance. There were no carved out times when my clients could or could not reach me, which meant that I was spending all day on the phone and answering emails instead of actually working. Work was starting to take over all of my personal time."

5. Many lawyers still haven't heard of Goodlawyer

Ultimately, why are so many lawyers so unhappy? We think it's because they haven't heard of Goodlawyer yet. Goodlawyer solves many of the problems that contribute to lawyers feeling dissatisfied in their careers. Goodlawyer is an online platform where lawyers can connect with business owners looking for legal services, build out their practice with great clients without any additional administrative work, gain access to supportive tools, and join a welcoming community of like-minded professionals.