09/09/2026
Lawyer burnout and Leadership
Last month our Rachael Oakes posted a blog about a brilliant junior family solicitor she was mentoring who was on the edge of burnout.
When she asked them why they hadn’t spoken up about wanting lead roles on bigger cases or setting boundaries with clients, they said:
"I was always told to keep my head down, do the work, and wait for my efforts to be noticed."
That received almost 18,000 views which just shows how important this issue is for people, not just family lawyers.
So, to help those out there dealing with a similar situation, here is a 3-step script Rachael shares with junior family lawyers she is mentoring to talk to partners with about their career goals without feeling arrogant or “pushy” which junior lawyers do worry about:
The Lead Role Ask: "I’ve successfully handled [X type of case]. On our next complex Financial Remedy (or other area of family law) file, I’d love to take the lead on drafting [Y document] with your oversight and support."
The Capacity Boundary situation: "My current caseload is at capacity with fixed deadlines. To give this new matter the focus it needs, which existing task should I prioritise or reassign?"
The Progress Check: "I want to ensure my development aligns with the department's needs. Can we schedule 15 minutes next month to review the types of cases I should target next?"
To all the law firm leaders reading this, how do you balance pushing junior lawyers to grow whilst protecting them from burnout? What does 'checking in' actually look like in your firm?
If your junior lawyers are "keeping their heads down," your retention rate is on borrowed time. So how do you actually get your junior lawyers to speak up before they reach breaking point?"
If you want your junior team to set healthy boundaries and ask for bigger opportunities, try changing these 3 culture norms:
Reward efficiency, not just billable hours logged at midnight.
Normalise saying "I need support on this file" during team catch-ups.
Ask "Where do you want to be in 2 years?" during informal monthly chats, not just annual appraisals.
If you think Rachael can support you or your team with mentoring issues, email Rachael at [email protected] to arrange a free initial call.
