The pressure on in-house legal professionals has increased in recent years. Once sought after as a more balanced alternative to private practice, it is now a central pillar of commercial decision-making, compliance, risk, and operations.
As legal teams become more embedded in business strategy, the pressure to deliver sharp advice quickly, often with fewer resources and tighter budgets, has intensified. Unsurprisingly, burnout is becoming a growing risk for many in-house lawyers.
But burnout is not inevitable. With some practical strategies and a supportive team environment, legal professionals can safeguard their energy, protect their wellbeing, and remain effective contributors to their organisations.
Below, we explore some of the key causes of burnout within organisations and provide realistic tools to help prevent it.
Understand the Signs of Burnout Early
Burnout is not just about feeling tired; it’s about feeling exhausted and depleted. It is a sustained state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion, often caused by prolonged stress and overwork.
For lawyers, it can manifest as:
- Chronic fatigue, even after rest
- A sense of detachment or cynicism towards work
- Reduced ability to concentrate or make decisions
- Feeling ineffective, overwhelmed, or irritable
Recognising these signs early is essential. Once burnout sets in, recovery can be a lengthy process, affecting both performance and overall health. Awareness is the first defence.
Know Your Value, But Set Boundaries
In-house lawyers are often viewed as the ‘fixers’ of the business. Whether it’s contracts, data protection, risk, regulatory queries, or managing external counsel, the requests never stop. The temptation is to say yes to everything, solve every problem, and be available at all hours. But this is neither sustainable nor effective.
Setting professional boundaries is not about saying no to your business partners; it’s about establishing clear expectations and maintaining them. It is prioritising the work that truly adds value. Create a framework that clarifies which tasks the legal team owns and which should sit elsewhere. Be open with stakeholders about realistic timeframes and capacity. You are a business partner, not a 24/7 legal helpline.
Use Technology Intentionally
Legal tech is often marketed as the answer to overwork. It certainly has the potential to reduce manual effort, improve transparency, and streamline workflows. But poorly implemented or underutilised tech can create more friction than it solves.
Focus on tools that support collaboration, visibility, and saving time on administrative tasks. Matter management, contract automation, and knowledge repositories can help reduce repetition and free up time for higher-value work. However, tech must be embedded in a way that complements team culture and working styles. No tool is a silver bullet, but used well, it can help lighten the load.
Be Clear on Roles and Expectations
One hidden driver of burnout in-house is unclear expectations. When legal is pulled into projects late, asked to sign off on commercial decisions without full context, or expected to operate reactively, the strain builds.
Creating a defined operating model can help. This might include:
- A straightforward intake process for legal requests
- SLAs or response time targets based on complexity
- Decision-making matrices or delegated authority guidelines
- Transparent KPIs linked to both legal and business goals
A shared understanding between legal and other functions helps reduce last-minute escalations and builds respect for legal’s time and expertise.
Build a Culture That Supports Mental Health
Culture starts at the top, but every member of the legal team contributes to it. Teams that openly discuss workload, wellbeing, and support are better equipped to prevent burnout than those that rely on quiet resilience.
Regular check-ins, honest workload conversations, and a no-blame environment make it easier to identify and address concerns before they become unmanageable. Leaders should model healthy behaviours themselves, such as taking leave, finishing on time where possible, and encouraging breaks.
If your organisation has wellbeing programmes, ensure legal is actively involved. And if not, consider suggesting a peer support initiative or collaborating with HR to introduce one.
Make Time for Deep Work and Strategic Thinking
One of the frustrations in-house lawyers often voice is the lack of time for strategic or proactive work. The constant influx of emails, contracts, and queries leaves little room for reflection or planning. Over time, this creates a sense of stagnation or reactive firefighting.
Blocking time each week for deep work or legal team planning can help shift this dynamic. Use these sessions to review processes, improve workflows, assess risks, or upskill. It is not indulgent, it is an investment in the long-term value that legal delivers.
Take Rest Seriously
Lawyers are skilled at advising others on risk management, but not always adept at managing their own. Annual leave is not a luxury. Neither are lunch breaks, screen-free time, nor finishing on time, especially when the work allows.
If you feel uncomfortable stepping away, ask why. Is it workload, culture, or personal pressure? Speak with your manager, seek support from your peers, or escalate the issue to HR. Burnout rarely stems from a single cause, and it cannot be solved by simply pushing through.
Conclusion
Burnout in legal is not a personal failure. It is a systemic issue arising from the demands of the role, the expectations of business, and often, a reluctance to say no. But change is possible. It starts with recognising that wellbeing is not separate from performance. It is foundational to it.
This article was originally published on our sister site lawcadia.com.
