New Zealand lawyers more stressed than international counterparts, report reveals

The New Zealand Law Society expressed great concern about recent research revealing that the country’s lawyers and law students reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress than other professions and than their counterparts in other countries.

Aaron Jarden, associate professor at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Wellbeing Science, conducted the new study, which surveyed almost 800 New Zealand lawyers and law students over a three-year period.

“We recognise and respect that each and every day can bring unique challenges to lawyers, many of which are high stress triggers that can negatively impact mental wellbeing,” said Katie Rusbatch, Law Society chief executive officer, in a statement.

Rusbatch noted in the statement that the Law Society has frequently communicated with the judiciary and with others in the legal system about the issue of wellbeing among members of the legal profession. Lawyers in the areas of criminal law and family law, among other practice areas, face significant pressure owing to their workloads, Rusbatch said.

“As a regulator, we’re aware that if left unaddressed, poor wellbeing can flow into disciplinary issues,” Rusbatch added in the statement. “We’d prefer to prevent those outcomes.”

Law Society resources

The Law Society’s 2023 survey of workplace wellbeing in the legal community showed a reduction of job stressors since 2018, with three quarters of respondents reporting a great deal of job satisfaction. However, the survey revealed that lawyers were less likely to feel that they were properly managing their stress in 2023.

Meanwhile, a Law Society report on the cost of practising law in New Zealand suggested that many lawyers were dealing with financial stress, with the cost of legal practice rising by an average of 15.3 percent per year over the last three years.

“We’re aware that providing options to help with individual symptoms will only go so far – there is a significant role for workplaces in recognising the collective nature of wellbeing and building healthy workplaces,” Rusbatch said in the Law Society’s statement.

The Law Society reminded its members that it has a program aiming to improve mental health within the legal profession. This program offers opportunities for connection, a friends panel, resources for practising well, and guidance for new lawyers.

The Law Society has a contract with Vitae, which provides a free and confidential counselling service. Over 500 individuals have used Vitae’s service within the past two years, the law society noted. The Law Society also has a mentoring program, which connects lawyers and allows them to support one another professionally.

“We recognise that good mental health does not happen by accident,” Rusbatch said in the statement responding to the recent research.