Lawyers experiencing burnout, stress and anxiety as workload increases – survey

Three-quarters of lawyers say their mental health has suffered because of their work, according to a new survey.

Nearly 250 members of the Aotearoa Lawyers Working Union responded to its 2020 Employment Information Survey, which was released in March.

Of the 181 members who said their mental health had suffered, 101 said they had suffered stress, anxiety and burnout.

Some lawyers say they're experiencing burnout due to increased workloads. (File photo)

Some said they were given an unreasonable workload requiring them to work late, meaning overtime was normalised. Bullying by senior staff was also frequently mentioned as a cause of poor mental health.

Ninety-two per cent of respondents from Meredith Connell reported their work had impacted their mental health.

Auckland Crown Solicitor Brian Dickey has 30 years experience in criminal and civil litigation.

Auckland’s Crown Solicitor Brian Dickey, who is also a partner at Meredith Connell, said it is a complex area.

“There will obviously be a correlation with the challenging criminal prosecution work we undertake for the Crown and the pandemic must have had effects on everyone,” he said.

“We are cognisant of this, and supporting mental health is at the forefront of our organisational wellbeing thinking.”

Meredith Connell prosecutors have three compulsory sessions with a mental health professional each year and the firm is looking to expand to an additional five voluntary sessions.

Dickey said while the ALWU’s annual survey is an important exercise, its value will only grow if the sample size improves from 245 respondents out of the industry’s 15,000 employees.

Defence lawyer Emma Priest says Covid-19 has had an impact on the profession.

Defence lawyer Emma Priest says while the statistics are “very troubling”, they did not surprise her. She sits on a number of legal committees which are all aware of the increased workload lawyers are facing post-Covid-19 lockdowns.

Meetings have been arranged nationwide with members of the criminal law profession to help find solutions, Priest said.

She said everyone is under the pump trying to keep up with the pace the courts are setting, with the Auckland District Court now running six or seven jury courts weekly and an increase in criminal trials at the High Court.

But there has not been an increase in lawyers, meaning the pressure on defence lawyers is “huge” as they take on more work to ensure defendants’ rights, Priest said.

“We have to be careful to ensure that lawyers do not burn out. That will place more pressure on those who remain standing.

The 2020 survey for the Aotearoa Legal Workers Union found about 74 per cent of respondents' mental health suffered because of work.

“Every lockdown requires us to pivot quickly. That agility costs us, both in terms of time as well as mental exhaustion.”

Eight-three per cent of respondents from Bell Gully also reported their work had affected their mental health.

Managing partner Haydn Wong said mental health remains a focus for the firm, as well as the profession as a whole.

“2020 was a challenging year for many people across New Zealand. Many of our clients faced rapidly changing circumstances and relied on us to support their business critical activities.”

Wong said working from home resulted in different pressures, and Bell Gully provided additional contact and check-ins for its teams.

“We consistently encourage open communication within the firm, both directly and through those anonymous surveys every three or four months, to identify emerging areas of particular concern to our people,” he said.

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