Lawyer mental health resources: Staying sane in practice

Lawyers are trained to spot risks in every clause, but they often miss them in themselves, and lawyer mental health is still often overlooked in the legal profession. However, help is available for lawyers and firms that want to address lawyer mental health and improve practice management.

If you're a lawyer who is struggling with your own mental health or wants to learn about available mental health resources, then this article is for you. We will also discuss strategies that firms can use to address these issues internally.

Ways to address lawyer mental health issues

Mental health issues among lawyers should not be treated as a sideline topic. It should be part of every lawyer's and firm's practice management, given its impact not only on lawyers, but also their clients.

No lawyer is alone in this. As these issues are gaining momentum in the legal profession, there are several ways to address lawyer mental health issues, such as the following:

• at the individual level, lawyers can learn about mental health issues, the symptoms and signs, and coping mechanisms
• at the firm level, there are suggested policies, methods, and strategies that can help employees prevent, address, and recover from mental health issues
• in any case, there are several resources on lawyer mental health offered by law societies, legal or health organizations, and governments

We will discuss these matters below.

You can also check out this CL Talk podcast from Canadian Lawyer, one of our sister publications, about breaking the mental health stigma within the legal profession:

For other lawyer mental health resources, check out this guide on lawyer well-being for Ontario lawyers and firms.

Signs of mental health issues among lawyers

Lawyer mental health issues exist on a spectrum and affect people differently, depending on individual capacity and context (e.g., workplace, environment). However, there are some signs or red flags that you may want to look out for:

• sleep is often one of the first things to change: it includes difficulty falling asleep, waking in the night with rumination about files, or needing substances to help you sleep
• changes in mood and outlook are common signals: in practice, these often look like persistent low mood, irritability, or feeling flat even when your day or work goes well
• being able to enjoy anything less: also called emotional blunting, this is when you may feel numb over the things that you normally enjoy or have enjoyed in the past
• shifting thinking patterns: when you're under sustained strain, you may notice having racing thoughts, constant worries, or difficulty concentrating on a single or simple task
• excessive guardedness, cynicism, and hypervigilance: over time, these things narrow your empathy and make your independent judgment harder to exercise calmly
• using substances to cope up: when alcohol or drugs become a main way to handle stress or emotion, or when you have repeatedly failed your attempt to cut from them

These are just some warning signs, which can prompt you to seek professional help. As with legal advice, there's no substitute for guidance from a qualified professional.

Coping mechanisms for lawyers with mental health issues

There are some recurring themes when it comes to coping mechanisms for lawyer mental health issues. While individual habits matter, so do office culture, leadership, and policies. In other words, you cannot just "tough it out" in a toxic or chronically stressful workplace.

Healthy coping strategies for lawyers

Participants in the Ontario research report published by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (FLSC) listed three healthy coping strategies to manage the stress of professional practice:

• having an interest or passion outside work: engaging in activities unrelated to law or your work can help manage stress by taking your mind off daily routines, allowing you to breathe, even briefly
• seeking adequate support from others: whether through professional help or regular conversations with a colleague, supportive dialogues can help lawyers verbalize what they are going through and their difficulties
• knowing when to say "no": recognize your limits, be assertive when declining work that exceeds those limits, and ask for help where needed

Watch this video which talks about how you can advocate for lawyer mental health and wellness within your own law firm:

Bookmark our Practice Management page for more legal resources tailored to Ontario lawyers and law firms to improve your daily work.

Law firm strategies for lawyer mental health

Beyond personal changes, there also are structural steps that firms can take to address lawyer mental health issues. Of course, genuine support from leaders is the first step in any workplace wellbeing effort. At most, senior partners and managers set the tone by how they talk about mental health, how they work, and what they reward in others.

Determine the loopholes in mental health approaches

Initially, your law firm can review its own practices across areas, such as each lawyer's workload, performance reviews, vacation use, diversity, and flexibility. That includes asking whether:

• regular hours and targets are realistic
• vacation is actually taken, or praised only in theory
• performance feedback is fair, specific, and respectful
• there are safe ways to raise concerns about your firm's culture

This kind of audit can be done through surveys, interviews, and review of internal data. Its goal is to see where current practice is harming or supporting mental health among the lawyers in your firm.

Changing how work in the firm is done

Lawyer mental health and wellbeing are not just about wellness programs, but also about redesigning how work itself to protect mental health. As such, it can also be about job design and control over every individual's work. For example, your law firm can:

• cut down on unnecessary "false emergencies" caused by poor planning
• set reasonable responsetime expectations for emails and messages
• increase lawyer control over how, when, and where some work is done

Documentation, for both tense and casual files

Having everything in black and white can keep your mind steady over your cases. It includes confirming sensitive directions in writing and avoiding casual advice on highrisk matters. Further, it can:

• reduce your personal worries about what was said or agreed
• make expectations clearer with your client
• support decisionmaking if you're later scrutinized for it

Calling out the bully in the workplace

Even if the bully bills well, it's important that firms call out bullying and ensure that no worker is abused, especially since incivility in the workplace and poor mental health of lawyers feed each other.

Some of the things that your law firm can do to address these things are:

• to educate lawyers who impose unrealistic expectations or use demeaning language with their colleagues
• restrict a lawyer's access to students and junior counsel, based on their past records and previous firm interactions
• if behaviour does not change after being addressed, firms can consider financial consequences (e.g., freezing or lowering compensation)

This is not just about manners but also a coping mechanism for the whole team. Removing or correcting a bully can ease distress, raise productivity, and reduce turnover, even if that lawyer was a strong producer on paper.

Socialization that is safe for everyone

Policies and norms should support safer choices, especially when it comes to alcohol and drug use. Strategies include:

• planning social events that do not revolve around alcohol
• setting clear expectations about behaviour at firm functions
• sharing information about Lawyer Assistance Programs (LAPs) and other confidential supports

Resources for lawyer mental health

Below are some resources that you can refer to that can help with lawyer mental health:

• Member Assistance Program (MAP): a confidential service offered by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) in partnership with LawPRO
• Mental Health and Wellness in the Legal Profession: a course offered by the Canadian Bar Association, the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, and Bell Let's Talk

Services by national mental health organizations

• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): has national programs, such as Recovery Colleges across the country, the Not Myself Today subscription-based program, and other mental health trainings for different workplaces
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): offers Mental Health 101 tutorials, all of which are free of charge through their CAMH Global Learning Academy; they also have a Mental Health Toolkit, which is a collection of mental health tools and guides

Government's mental health services

• Suicide Crisis Helpline: you can call or text 9-8-8 if you are thinking about suicide or know someone who is; support in this helpline is available 24/7
• Ontario government's services: some services that lawyers and firms can use include:
• ConnexOntario Helpline: free and confidential health services information if you have problems with alcohol and drugs, mental illness, or gambling
• 211 Ontario: provides information and referrals for health services across Ontario, including resources that are divided by topic

Lawyer mental health: Making support part of everyday practice

Law is a demanding job, but sacrificing your own health does not have to be part of the role. The justice system depends on lawyers who can think clearly, act with integrity, and stay steady under pressure. That is why protecting your own mental health is part of protecting the rule of law, and not a side project that you or your law firm can just ignore.

Still, there are real, simple, and specific ways to address lawyer mental health—in or out of your work. Paired with clear lawyer mental health resources and safe peer support, these steps can help you stay both skilled and steady in practice.

Check out our Events page for the upcoming lawyer conferences and other gatherings for legal professionals across Canada, where lawyer mental health is also discussed.