One in four solicitors is considering leaving the profession, with old and young alike examining their futures and most looking to quit law in the next two years for lifestyle reasons.
The startling finding of widespread dissatisfaction in the profession is contained in the latest NSW Law Society survey of solicitors, conducted as part of the annual review of practising certificates.
This year, the survey included a question about solicitors' intentions and the results underline the problems for firms in planning for generational change and retaining young solicitors.
Of the 27 per cent considering leaving, the largest percentage of solicitors - 38 per cent - considering leaving the profession are over 50 years old, as expected due to retirement. But the next largest proportion of solicitors considering leaving are under 35 years of age - 23 per cent.
Most of those pondering the move are thinking of doing so in the next five years: 40.7 per cent in the next two years and a further 31.7 per cent in the next three to five years.
"This is going to create even more of a shortage in the market at the level that is required to keep law firms active," Hays Legal NSW manager Elizabeth Rooke said.
"I am personally surprised that the numbers are so high. I could understand if it was people in private practice looking to go in-house but not leave the profession completely."
The figures were compiled by social research firm Urbis Keys Young. This is the most detailed analysis of the legal profession in any state. A total of 7836 solicitors completed the survey, which is 39 per cent of the NSW profession.
The NSW survey found that across all age groups, the most common reason given for wanting to leave was lifestyle, which was the response given by 40 per cent of those considering departure. Retirement was the next most popular reason, and 32 per cent of those inclined to quit had this in mind. A majority of practitioners aged under 35 years who were contemplating leaving - 55 per cent - gave lifestyle as a reason, but 45 per cent of that group wanted to leave for a career change.
"Young generation Ys are more lifestyle centred than any other generation," Avril Henry of AH Revelations said.
"Managers and partners at professional service firms are struggling with the concept that people want flexible hours. They think it means school-time work for mothers."
Ms Henry, a former HR manager at Clayton Utz, said the findings reflected her own research last year of people under 28 at professional services firms.
According to the Urbis report, private practitioners are most likely to leave because of lifestyle reasons, as 40 per cent indicated that this would be the cause for departure.
