We asked hundreds of lawyers what keeps them in their current roles, what would make them explore new opportunities, and what might push them to leave. Their responses reveal what truly matters when lawyers make career decisions today.
Current Satisfaction by PQE Level
Key Insight
1. The Junior “Ambivalence” (0–2 PQE)
This is the most neutral group, with 50% feeling neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. They are not engaged, making them highly susceptible to pull factors like higher pay or better balance.
2. The “Sweet Spot” (3–10 PQE)
The 3–5 PQE (55.3% positive) and 6–10 PQE (51% positive) groups show the highest satisfaction among early–mid career lawyers. This is the phase where lawyers have likely gained competence and are highly satisfied by the mix of flexibility and autonomy in their roles, before the heavier pressures of seniority set in.
3. The “Turning Point” (11–15 PQE)
While 50% of this group remains positive, we see the first warning signs of the coming crisis. Dissatisfaction rises to 22% (up from 15% in the previous bracket), suggesting that the “mid-career glow” is fading for many.
4. The Senior “Crisis” (16–20 PQE)
This group has the highest dissatisfaction rate (30%) and the lowest “very satisfied” score (5%). While 45% report being satisfied overall, the combination of rising dissatisfaction and very low enthusiasm suggests a meaningful drop in morale and engagement at this stage of seniority.
5. The 21+ Year “Polarisation”
Lawyers with 21+ PQE have the highest satisfaction (71.4%), but also a notable 21.4% dissatisfaction, with almost no neutrality. At this stage, lawyers tend to fall into two camps: those who thrive with autonomy and leadership, and those who feel stuck or disillusioned.
01 What Lawyers Like About Their Workplace
We asked lawyers to select up to three factors that they like most about where they work today. The results send a clear message to employers: culture, trust, and autonomy matter more than perks or titles.
Top 3 Drivers of Satisfaction
🥇 Autonomy and Trust: 53% of lawyers selected this as a top “like”.
🥈 Flexible Work Arrangements: 50% value the ability to manage their own schedules.
🥉 Supportive Colleagues and Culture: 46% cited their team and environment as a key positive.
The Surprising “Lows”
Some of the factors that firms often highlight as incentives turned out to have the least impact on satisfaction.
- Performance-based Bonuses: 8%
- Career Progression Opportunities: 11%
- Positive Feedback and Recognition: 17%
While “Career Progression Opportunities” ranks low overall, the PQE breakdown shows an important nuance. Junior lawyers (0–2 PQE) selected it more frequently than any other group, suggesting that progression matters most early in a lawyer’s career but becomes less of a day-to-day satisfaction driver as they gain experience.
Key Insight
Lawyers are seven times more likely to enjoy their work because of autonomy than because of bonuses. Compensation still matters, but it does not drive daily fulfilment. The real loyalty drivers are trust, flexibility, and supportive culture.
02 Why Lawyers Leave: The Real Deal-Breakers
We asked lawyers to rank the key reasons that would make them consider leaving their current role. The results draw a consistent picture: well-being and workplace culture matter more than anything else.
Top 3 Push Factors
The highest-ranked reasons for leaving are closely tied to health, support, and workload.
🥇 Health or Burnout Concerns
🥈 Toxic or Unsupportive Work Environment
🥉 Excessively Long Working Hours
The Pay and Progression Paradox
“Competitive compensation” and “career progression” may not create satisfaction, but when missing, they become reasons to leave. They are hygiene factors, necessary but not motivating on their own.
Key Insight
Firms cannot solve attrition with higher pay alone.
To retain talent, they must first address the root causes: burnout, culture, and workload.
Only when the work experience improves will compensation and titles make a lasting difference.
03 What Draws Lawyers to Explore New Roles
We also asked lawyers what would most likely attract them to explore a new opportunity. The results show a clear distinction between what keeps lawyers and what lures them away.
Top 3 Pull Factors
🥇 Higher Compensation and Benefits
🥈 Better Work-Life Balance
🥉 Clearer Career Progression
Key Insight
Money is the biggest lure, but not the full story.
While “higher compensation and benefits” tops the list of reasons to look elsewhere, it is not what makes lawyers stay or love their jobs.
This confirms the Pay and Progression Paradox:
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Pay and progression don’t create day-to-day satisfaction.
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But they are powerful triggers to start looking for a new role.
A firm can’t buy loyalty, but a competitor can buy attention.
Conclusion
Across all three questions in our survey, one theme appears again and again: lawyers want better balance.
It shows up consistently in every part of the data.
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What they like: Flexible work arrangements rank among the top factors.
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What makes them leave: Burnout and long hours rank among the strongest push factors.
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What attracts them elsewhere: Better work-life balance is the second-highest pull factor.
This pattern reflects a wider shift in the legal profession. Lawyers are looking for roles that support both performance and sustainability, not just traditional measures of success.
You can’t fix a “Burnout” problem (Push Factor #1) with “Higher Compensation” (Pull Factor #1).
It won’t work.
Autonomy and flexibility are what ease the pressure of long hours.
A supportive culture is what counters the effects of a difficult or unsupportive environment.
Firms that strengthen these foundations will retain talent far more effectively, and only then can compensation and progression have a meaningful impact.
