{"id":11174,"date":"2025-03-12T10:26:06","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T10:26:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clio.com\/uk\/?p=11174"},"modified":"2025-03-12T14:26:56","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T14:26:56","slug":"solicitor-working-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/solicitor-working-hours\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Reality of Long Solicitor Working Hours"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Solicitor working hours are notoriously long and gruelling, but how many hours do solicitors typically work? And what impact do super-sized workweeks have on solicitors, personally and professionally?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For solicitors, a full-time role rarely means working 9-to-5. In the UK, solicitors commonly exceed a 40-hour work week, often extending into evenings and weekends to accommodate client needs and meet billable hour targets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s no surprise that solicitors\u2019 working hours are long. There\u2019s so much to do\u2014meeting billable hour requirements, managing clients, court appearances, casework and case preparation, and more. Add professional competition and extreme pressure, and you have a recipe for exhaustion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, simply accepting that the working hours of solicitors are exceptionally long and demanding isn\u2019t a sustainable solution. Normalising overwork fuels a legal industry that suffers from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/work-related-stress-solicitor-burnout\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">burnout<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, excessive stress, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/mental-health-in-the-legal-profession\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">mental health<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> issues, and an overall lack of well-being.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This blog post will examine how many hours solicitors work, and why. We\u2019ll also discuss the potential health consequences of consistent overwork for solicitors. Most importantly, we\u2019ll explore ways to manage and balance the working hours of solicitors. (Hint: using powerful legal technology can help. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/schedule-a-demo\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Book a personalised demo of Clio to see how<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><div class=\"o-featured-snippet o-theme--bone is-faq-snippet-question\">\n\t<div class=\"c-featured-snippet__inner\">\n\t\t<h3>\n\t\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\tHow many hours a week does a solicitor work?\n\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t<div class=\"c-featured-snippet__content\">\n\t\t\t<p>While many lawyers maintain a standard 40-hour workweek, a considerable number often exceed these hours. Average weekly work hours for different types of lawyers include: Lawyers in large firms typically work about 66 hours per week, while those in small to medium-sized firms work between 42 and 54 hours per week.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Discover how Clio can give solicitors back time in their day<\/h3>\n<p>Simplify every aspect of your law firm, from billing to communication and document management, so you can focus on the work that really matters. Book a demo today.<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<a\n\t\thref=\"\/uk\/schedule-a-demo\/\"\n\t\tdata-tracking-trigger=\"click\" data-tracking-action=\"CTA\"\n\t\taria-label=\"See Clio in Action\"\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\tclass=\"\n\t\t\to-btn--primary\n\t\t\tl-btn--primary\n\t\t\t o-cta l-cta js-cta\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t>See Clio in Action<\/a>\n\t\n<hr \/>\n<h3>How many hours a week does a solicitor work?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While many lawyers maintain a standard 40-hour workweek, many often exceed these hours. The hours worked by lawyers largely depend on the type of firm the lawyer works with.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u00a0 <\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lawyers in large firms typically work about 66 hours per week.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u00a0 <\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lawyers in small to medium-sized firms work between 42 and 54 hours per week.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u00a0 <\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lawyers in Magic Circle firms often work even longer hours, with many working until 8pm or later.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Which solicitors work the most? Due to billable hour quotas, solicitors at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/big-law-firms\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Big Law firms<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> commonly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawcrossing.com\/article\/900055227\/Understanding-the-Reality-of-Long-Lawyer-Working-Hours\/#:~:text=Lawyers%20at%20small%2D%20and%20medium,reported%20working%20beyond%2010%20p.m.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">work 80-hour weeks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do solicitors work 9-to-5?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<div\n\tclass=\"o-image l-image aligncenter wp-image-11175 size-full \"\n\t\tstyle=\"max-width: 46.5625rem;  width: 745px;\"\n\t\t>\n\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"o-image__wrap l-image__wrap js-lazy-image-wrapper\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"padding-top:66.1744966443%;\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"solicitor working hours\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"A&#x20;clock&#x20;showing&#x20;it&#x20;is&#x20;9&#x3A;10pm,&#x20;as&#x20;lawyers&#x20;work&#x20;long&#x20;and&#x20;often&#x20;irregular&#x20;hours.\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-11-at-14.38.04.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"745\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"493\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"solicitor working hours\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"A&#x20;clock&#x20;showing&#x20;it&#x20;is&#x20;9&#x3A;10pm,&#x20;as&#x20;lawyers&#x20;work&#x20;long&#x20;and&#x20;often&#x20;irregular&#x20;hours.\"\n\t\t\t\twidth=\"745\"\n\t\t\t\theight=\"493\"\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloading=\"lazy\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-11-at-14.38.04.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"is-lazy js-lazy-image\"\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What hours do solicitors, especially junior lawyers, work if they\u2019re working more than full time? During the week, many solicitors work additional hours outside the traditional 9-to-5 business day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/guides\/legal-trends-report-2022\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2022 Legal Trends Report<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> offers some insights on solicitor working hours:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">86% of solicitors work outside the typical workday (between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">56% of solicitors reported working after 5 p.m. and 28% reported working past 6 p.m. in the evening.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the higher end of working hours, 11% reported working after 10 p.m.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Do solicitors work on weekends?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It&#8217;s common for law firms to operate on Saturdays, accommodating clients who are unavailable during regular weekday hours. While most law firms close on Sundays, some services may still be offered, depending on agreements between a client and their lawyer.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Why do solicitors work so many long hours?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For most solicitors, not just one (or two, or three) factors drive long working hours. From heavy workloads to pressure from peers and clients to billable hour requirements, practising law calls on solicitors to take on multiple time-consuming tasks and responsibilities. In fields like corporate law, the workload and expectations are particularly intense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unfortunately, the mountain of work and expectations often can\u2019t be surmounted in an eight-hour workday or 40-hour workweek.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While not every reason applies to every solicitor, below are common reasons solicitors work so many hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Billable hour requirements<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When law firms have minimum billable hour requirements, solicitors must work a minimum number of hours on billable client work. When these billable hours are combined with those spent on non-billable (but still essential) tasks like client onboarding, research, travel, and communication, it becomes difficult to do everything within a standard workday. Understanding these expectations is crucial when applying for training contracts.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>The catch-up cycle<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The majority of solicitors\u201477%, according to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/guides\/2018-legal-trends-report\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2018 Legal Trends Report<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2014work beyond regular business hours to catch up on work that wasn\u2019t completed within regular hours. If you don\u2019t create more efficient systems, you may always be \u201ccatching up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Communication with clients<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every day, solicitors spend hours on the phone, email, text and in meetings, advising clients about aspects of their case. Not all of these communications activities are constructive, but they use up time that could otherwise be productive. This leads to the need to do productive work outside regular office hours.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Deadlines<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many of the matters solicitors work on are time-sensitive. When serving a client means meeting a deadline, filing documents on time, or being prepared for a hearing, solicitors often put in extra hours to finish the job.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Unpredictable hours<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Similarly, scheduling challenges (whether due to court hearings or meetings) can lead to prolonged or unpredictable hours.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Client service<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Clients come first, but being available to clients outside of regular business hours can impact overall solicitor working hours. Specifically, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/guides\/legal-trends-report-2022\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2022 Legal Trends Report<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> notes that 74% of solicitors make themselves available to communicate with clients on the weekend, and 69% offer to communicate in the evening.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Practice area and geographic location<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The type of law you practise, and where you practise it, can also impact solicitor working hours. Think: How many hours do corporate lawyers work compared to other practice areas like family law? Solicitors in commercial firms may also experience different work-life balance dynamics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<div\n\tclass=\"o-image l-image aligncenter wp-image-11176 size-full \"\n\t\tstyle=\"max-width: 46.6875rem;  width: 747px;\"\n\t\t>\n\t<div\n\t\tclass=\"o-image__wrap l-image__wrap js-lazy-image-wrapper\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"padding-top:66.265060241%;\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"solicitor working hours\"\n\t\t\t\t\talt=\"A&#x20;lawyer&#x20;at&#x20;her&#x20;laptop&#x20;with&#x20;her&#x20;hands&#x20;over&#x20;her&#x20;face&#x20;in&#x20;exhaustion&#x20;from&#x20;long&#x20;hours.\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-11-at-14.42.04.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\twidth=\"747\"\n\t\t\t\t\theight=\"495\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\ttitle=\"solicitor working hours\"\n\t\t\t\talt=\"A&#x20;lawyer&#x20;at&#x20;her&#x20;laptop&#x20;with&#x20;her&#x20;hands&#x20;over&#x20;her&#x20;face&#x20;in&#x20;exhaustion&#x20;from&#x20;long&#x20;hours.\"\n\t\t\t\twidth=\"747\"\n\t\t\t\theight=\"495\"\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloading=\"lazy\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-src=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-11-at-14.42.04.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP\/\/\/wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"is-lazy js-lazy-image\"\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t<\/picture>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Regardless of the reasons, working overwhelming hours is unsustainable for many people. The pressures and exhaustion that accompany long-term overwork can impact <\/span><a title=\"Read about lawyer career paths\" href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/guides\/legal-trends-report-2022\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">lawyers\u2019 career paths<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some of the most common health issues fuelled by gruelling solicitor hours include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Burnout.<\/b> <a title=\"Read about lawyer burnout\" href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/work-related-stress-solicitor-burnout\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Solicitor burnout<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is more than just being tired. As the Stress &amp; Resilience Institute\u2019s Paula Davis-Laack explains on<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> this episode <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">of Clio\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Daily Matters<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> podcast, burnout is \u201cthe manifestation of chronic workplace stress. <\/span>By working excessive hours in a high-stress environment, lawyers erode their energy stores and become highly susceptible to burnout.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Mental health issues.<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lawyer anxiety<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, depression, and <\/span><a title=\"Read about mental health from lawyers' perspectives\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/voice\/article\/lawyers_weigh_in_why_is_there_a_depression_epidemic_in_the_profession\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">mental health problems are prevalent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the legal industry. The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation <\/span><a title=\"Read the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's study on lawyer mental health\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/voice\/article\/lawyers_weigh_in_why_is_there_a_depression_epidemic_in_the_profession\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> found that 28% of licensed, employed solicitors suffer from depression, and 19% deal with symptoms of anxiety.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Are the long hours lawyers work bad for your health?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Regardless of the reasons, working overwhelming hours is unsustainable for many people. This is particularly true for newly qualified solicitors, who often face demanding work cultures despite high salary offerings. The pressures and exhaustion accompanying long-term overwork can impact <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/guides\/legal-trends-report-2022\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">lawyers\u2019 career paths<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some of the most common health issues fuelled by gruelling solicitor hours include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Burnout.<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/work-related-stress-solicitor-burnout\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Solicitor burnout<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is more than just being tired. As the Stress &amp; Resilience Institute\u2019s Paula Davis-Laack explains on this episode of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/podcast\/lawyer-wellness-and-mental-health\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Clio\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Daily Matters<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> podcast<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, burnout is \u201cthe manifestation of chronic workplace stress. By working excessive hours in a high-stress environment, lawyers erode their energy stores and become highly susceptible to burnout.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Mental health issues.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Lawyer anxiety, depression, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/voice\/article\/lawyers_weigh_in_why_is_there_a_depression_epidemic_in_the_profession\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">mental health problems are prevalent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the legal profession.\u00a0 The Law Society reports that<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawsociety.org.uk\/topics\/hr-and-people-management\/partner-content\/how-well-are-mental-health-initiatives-working-in-law-firms#:~:text=According%20to%20the%202023%20ALM,a%205%25%20increase%20from%202022.\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a recent survey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> indicates that approximately 71% of nearly 3,000 lawyers surveyed said they had anxiety.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>How to restore balance to your work-life as a solicitor<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s possible to balance the demands of solicitor working hours with wellness, but it takes effort.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here are some key ways to take care of your health and mitigate the impact of the legal profession\u2019s long working hours.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Take care of your health and wellness<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Looking after yourself will help you better manage stress. Below are some different ways to prioritise your wellness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" title=\"Daily Matters - Episode #35 - Jeena Cho\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5GcfWe_Jg_g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Eat well<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Working so hard that you forget to eat\u2014or regularly eating food that doesn\u2019t make you feel great or provide nourishment\u2014isn\u2019t doing your work-life balance any favours. Instead, fuel yourself to support productivity in your work hours by avoiding excessive caffeine and alcohol, and eating regular healthy meals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Keep hydrated<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thewellbeinggroup.co.uk\/stay-hydrated-at-work\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keeping hydrated at work<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> will help your concentration, mood and clarity of thought. Failing to hydrate properly during the day will lead to fatigue and lethargy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Stay physically active<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Moving your body with physical activity is essential for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/mental-health-in-the-legal-profession\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">solicitor wellness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and helping to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/mental-health-in-the-legal-profession\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">manage anxiety<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Try to get up and move away from your desk regularly throughout the day, and doing some light exercise will recharge your energy levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Prioritise downtime and time off<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rest is critical to keeping burnout at bay, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawsociety.ie\/Solicitors\/Representation\/psychological-services\/about-wellbeing-hub\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">sleep deprivation negatively impacts our health<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. But rest is often the first thing to go when working long hours. To mitigate this, you might need to schedule downtime and make a concerted effort to prioritise rest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Set boundaries<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Know your limits, articulate them, and stand by them. It can be challenging, but learning to say no when necessary can improve your work-life balance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Practice mindfulness<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mindfulness and meditation can be powerful tools for supporting mental wellness for solicitors. If you need help tapping into mindfulness, you can also use technology to help, with many <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawsociety.ie\/Solicitors\/Representation\/psychological-services\/about-wellbeing-hub\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">apps available<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to help you manage stress and prevent burnout.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Maintain social connections<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It can be easy to let social connections slip through the cracks when hyper-focused on your career. However, these connections are essential for your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawsociety.ie\/Solicitors\/Representation\/psychological-services\/about-wellbeing-hub\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">overall health and well-being<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Strategies to create balance in your work and life<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can also take steps to restore\u2014or create\u2014the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/is-work-life-balance-in-uk-law-achievable\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">balance in your work and life<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Seek work with meaning<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Working long hours can be stressful. But if you\u2019re doing work you care about and find meaningful, it can feel less taxing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Delegate<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Assess your daily tasks with an honest eye. Are you doing tasks that someone else could be doing? Whether delegating work to administrative staff, other solicitors, or outsourcing work, if you can ethically and securely delegate some tasks, that can free up hours in your day.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Work smarter<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using technology to streamline and automate administrative and non-billable tasks reduces your working hours while getting the same (or even better) work results. This allows solicitors to focus more on their core responsibilities, such as providing legal advice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tracking time in real-time using software like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/features\/legal-time-tracking\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Clio Manage\u2019s legal time and expense recording software<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, for example, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/blog\/is-work-life-balance-in-uk-law-achievable\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">saves time at work<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by making your daily processes more efficient.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Allow clients to access case information through a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/features\/client-portal\/?cta=top-nav-uk\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">client portal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This reduces the number of times a client will contact you to find out about their case and allows for communication to and from the client without breaking into your day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Make your own hours<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you can\u2019t find a balance where you are, you might want to consider alternative ways to build your own vision of work-life balance, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/guides\/how-to-start-your-own-law-firm\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">starting your own law firm<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Final notes on balancing solicitor working hours<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are only so many hours in a day, and the working hours of solicitors tend to take up most of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the extent of how many hours solicitors work varies depending on factors like law firm size and practice area, most lawyers today work full-time, with many working well beyond that. Many solicitors in private practice find that their working hours are influenced by the demands of their clients and the nature of their practice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Often, the drive to work extra hours comes from good intentions. Solicitors want to serve their clients as best they can, and they want to succeed and make a difference in a highly competitive field. Unfortunately, those good intentions, billable hour requirements, and heavy caseloads can make work unsustainable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because of this, solicitors are often prone to stress, a lack of balance, and burnout.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While slashing your working hours as a solicitor is likely unrealistic, there are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawcare.org.uk\/get-information\/articles\/small-shifts-big-impact-micro-self-care-tips-for-the-busy-lawyer\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">steps you can take to support wellness and work-life balance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Book a Demo<\/h3>\n<p>Working lots of hours as a solicitor? Effortlessly keep your billable hours accurate and on track and discover how Clio Manage can help. Boost your firm\u2019s profitability with Clio\u2019s intuitive <a href=\"https:\/\/marketing.dev.clio.systems\/uk\/features\/legal-time-tracking\/\">time-recording software<\/a>. Book a demo today.<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<a\n\t\thref=\"\/uk\/schedule-a-demo\/\"\n\t\tdata-tracking-trigger=\"click\" data-tracking-action=\"CTA\"\n\t\taria-label=\"See Clio in Action\"\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\tclass=\"\n\t\t\to-btn--primary\n\t\t\tl-btn--primary\n\t\t\t o-cta l-cta js-cta\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t>See Clio in Action<\/a>\n\t\n<hr \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about solicitor working hours, including how many hours solicitors work, what you can do daily, and how to combat stress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":11177,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"coauthors":[448],"class_list":["post-11174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","content_category-professional-development","content_category-wellness-and-mental-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.7 (Yoast SEO v24.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Solicitor Working Hours: How Many Hours Do They Work &amp; Why?| Clio UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about solicitor working hours, including how many hours solicitors work, what you can do daily, and how to combat stress.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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