One of the most enduring “truisms” about being an attorney is that the only way to succeed is to put in the hours – lots of hours. We’ve all heard the stories of the young lawyers trying to make their way up the corporate structure by billing 50, 60, or 70 hours per week.

While this may be the case for many – even most – it is not a recipe for success. Having no life outside of the office is instead a recipe for personal burnout. If you are an attorney looking for long-term success and a good life overall, achieving the right work-life balance is the better strategy. 

The idea of work-life balance had become a nearly non-existent concept before the pandemic, no matter the professional discipline. However, slowing down our lives during lockdown had some positive effects. One of these unexpected benefits was rediscovering the joys of home life and family.

As we march towards normalcy, it is wise to review how any attorney can continue to maintain a positive balance of work and personal responsibilities.

A study in 2018 revealed that 94% of attorneys and other professionals in the workforce felt stressed at work, and 29% felt “high to unsustainably high” stress levels. 54% felt this anxiety negatively affected their home life and family. Experts know that anxiety also affects productivity and work relationships.

So how can an attorney lower stress and maintain a better balance?

  • Set Goals: As an attorney, you will have professional goals, such as how many custody cases you’d like to take on over the next 12 months. But you should also set personal goals, such as making it to all of your son’s home games.Once you have your priorities listed, it is easier to set a schedule that ensures your goals are met.
  • Build a Schedule That Works for You:  Office hours have been a staple of professional life, but remote work over the last 18 months has taught us that flexibility works.You may need to drive your spouse to work in the morning or leave the office early to make it to the game. Choose hours that make sense for you, set them, and publicize them to your clients, so everyone understands your schedule.

    Communication is key, and as long as everyone is aware, there should be no issues.

  • Set Aside Time for Tasks: The most organized and productive professionals understand how tasks like checking email or scanning documents can suck hours out of the day. Set aside blocks of time for accomplishing these tasks, and don’t deviate throughout the day.You’ll be amazed at how much more productive you are and can leave your stress at the office when you go home.
  • Give Yourself a Break: In fact, give yourself a short break every hour. Taking just 3-5 minutes to stretch your legs, grab a drink of water or even rest your eyes can help you to maintain balance. Make your lunch break non-negotiable. Step away from your desk, get into a different environment (the break room is fine), and eat a nutritious meal.This will help keep both your body and mind fueled for the rest of the day and stave off fatigue.
  • Take a Vacation: Busy attorneys often bristle at this requirement for a healthy work-life balance, as vacation seems nearly impossible with their heavy caseload. But scheduling and taking breaks away from the office is necessary to reduce the chances of burnout and increase motivation. Living in Florida, we have ample opportunities to get away close to home or take a “staycation.”

    Even a few days completely unplugged from work and enjoying friends and family can rejuvenate the most beleaguered attorney. Make sure that your law firm’s marketing strategies don’t experience a setback by planning ahead or by partnering with a digital marketing agency. So take a vacation, and leave your laptop or tablet at home. Bring your phone for emergencies, but don’t live on it. Enjoy yourself!

  • Make Time for Family: Throughout the pandemic, more people worked from home. However, many struggled with separating work and home life. Being “home with the family” doesn’t count if an attorney is constantly locked away talking on the phone.Whether working at home or at the office, schedule in time for your family and make it a priority. Don’t allow work to creep over into family time (or friendships if you are single.)

    Recognize that this time off is as essential to your long-term success as the hours you are with clients or poring over legal documents.  

Being an attorney is stressful by nature. Being intentional about cultivating a personal life and life outside the office will reduce the chance of burnout and provide you with a more well-rounded, successful career. 

Achieve your goals with 
tailored law firm marketing.
Schedule a consultation.

Let’s Talk

Achieve your goals with 
tailored law firm marketing.
Schedule a consultation.

Let's Talk

One of the most enduring “truisms” about being an attorney is that the only way to succeed is to put in the hours – lots of hours. We’ve all heard the stories of the young lawyers trying to make their way up the corporate structure by billing 50, 60, or 70 hours per week.

While this may be the case for many – even most – it is not a recipe for success. Having no life outside of the office is instead a recipe for personal burnout. If you are an attorney looking for long-term success and a good life overall, achieving the right work-life balance is the better strategy. 

The idea of work-life balance had become a nearly non-existent concept before the pandemic, no matter the professional discipline. However, slowing down our lives during lockdown had some positive effects. One of these unexpected benefits was rediscovering the joys of home life and family.

As we march towards normalcy, it is wise to review how any attorney can continue to maintain a positive balance of work and personal responsibilities.

A study in 2018 revealed that 94% of attorneys and other professionals in the workforce felt stressed at work, and 29% felt “high to unsustainably high” stress levels. 54% felt this anxiety negatively affected their home life and family. Experts know that anxiety also affects productivity and work relationships.

So how can an attorney lower stress and maintain a better balance?

  • Set Goals: As an attorney, you will have professional goals, such as how many custody cases you’d like to take on over the next 12 months. But you should also set personal goals, such as making it to all of your son’s home games.Once you have your priorities listed, it is easier to set a schedule that ensures your goals are met.
  • Build a Schedule That Works for You:  Office hours have been a staple of professional life, but remote work over the last 18 months has taught us that flexibility works.You may need to drive your spouse to work in the morning or leave the office early to make it to the game. Choose hours that make sense for you, set them, and publicize them to your clients, so everyone understands your schedule.

    Communication is key, and as long as everyone is aware, there should be no issues.

  • Set Aside Time for Tasks: The most organized and productive professionals understand how tasks like checking email or scanning documents can suck hours out of the day. Set aside blocks of time for accomplishing these tasks, and don’t deviate throughout the day.You’ll be amazed at how much more productive you are and can leave your stress at the office when you go home.
  • Give Yourself a Break: In fact, give yourself a short break every hour. Taking just 3-5 minutes to stretch your legs, grab a drink of water or even rest your eyes can help you to maintain balance. Make your lunch break non-negotiable. Step away from your desk, get into a different environment (the break room is fine), and eat a nutritious meal.This will help keep both your body and mind fueled for the rest of the day and stave off fatigue.
  • Take a Vacation: Busy attorneys often bristle at this requirement for a healthy work-life balance, as vacation seems nearly impossible with their heavy caseload. But scheduling and taking breaks away from the office is necessary to reduce the chances of burnout and increase motivation. Living in Florida, we have ample opportunities to get away close to home or take a “staycation.”

    Even a few days completely unplugged from work and enjoying friends and family can rejuvenate the most beleaguered attorney. Make sure that your law firm’s marketing strategies don’t experience a setback by planning ahead or by partnering with a digital marketing agency. So take a vacation, and leave your laptop or tablet at home. Bring your phone for emergencies, but don’t live on it. Enjoy yourself!

  • Make Time for Family: Throughout the pandemic, more people worked from home. However, many struggled with separating work and home life. Being “home with the family” doesn’t count if an attorney is constantly locked away talking on the phone.Whether working at home or at the office, schedule in time for your family and make it a priority. Don’t allow work to creep over into family time (or friendships if you are single.)

    Recognize that this time off is as essential to your long-term success as the hours you are with clients or poring over legal documents.  

Being an attorney is stressful by nature. Being intentional about cultivating a personal life and life outside the office will reduce the chance of burnout and provide you with a more well-rounded, successful career. 

Achieve your goals with 
tailored law firm marketing.
Schedule a consultation.

Let’s Talk

Achieve your goals with 
tailored law firm marketing.
Schedule a consultation.

Let's Talk

Published on January 11, 2022

About the Author: Chris Williams

Founder at Aginto, and an organic marketing specialist, Chris has worked on everything from SEO to social media marketing to conversion optimization. He spends his downtime raising his daughter, volunteering with the Salvation Army, and obsessing over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Twitter. You can follow him here.