Only 30% of lawyers manage to switch off during the summer vacations
According to a survey conducted by Iberian Lawyer, 70% of lawyers admit that they had to continue working in some way during their summer holidays, of which 19% admit that they did not manage to switch off at all.
A demanding profession
It is a fact of life that the legal profession is demanding. The critical nature of the matters it handles, the high expectations of clients and the competitive structure of the profession are some of the most obvious reasons for this. However, this dynamic can be detrimental to lawyers if they do not find ways to switch off and take care of their well-being.
The result of this are the percentages obtained in the survey conducted by Iberian Lawyer: Have you disconnected on holiday? Of all the information obtained, the most interesting is that only 30% of lawyers managed to disconnect completely during their summer holidays 2024. This means that the other 70% continued to work in some way while trying to enjoy the break.
As an initiative, the law firm Ambar Partners has shared images on the social network LinkedIn, where you can see different members of their team enjoying their holidays.
19% of lawyers do not manage to disconnect from work at all during the holidays.
Of those who had to stay in touch with work (51%), most had to answer some calls or emails that required their help, while others were only partially available for those matters of the utmost urgency.
The rest (19%) confessed that they had not been able to switch off at all and had to work during their holidays. This may be due to the expectations of clients, who expect immediate responses; the firm’s internal culture, which puts pressure on its lawyers; or to meet judicial or administrative deadlines that do not depend on lawyers.
This study clearly demonstrates the need for a change in the culture of the legal sector, where rest is not seen as a weakness but as a fundamental part of ensuring both the wellbeing of lawyers and the fulfilment of long-term work expectations.
