Despite Covid-19, lawyers working from home has had a slower increase in adoption than other industries. However, the trend is slowly growing and now lawyers across the globe are pushing for a more flexible and hybrid work environment.
The Facts
Two-thirds of UK lawyers say remote working has had a positive impact on their wellbeing and in total, 86% of UK lawyers would like to change the way they work in future, compared to the global average of 77%, and on average they would prefer to work remotely at least two days a week.
Partners working remotely said they enjoyed greater efficiency, more productive use of technology, less commuting and stronger adoption of a better work-life balance. Almost one-third of senior lawyers suggested that they would leave their firm within the next two years if more flexibility could not be arranged.
Interestingly, a survey of corporate counsel and senior lawyers by legal information business Thomson Reuters found that attitudes to remote working were much more positive in the UK than the rest of the world.
Incorporating Culture into Remote Policies for Law Firms
The one thing the pandemic taught us is that law firms can run successfully and efficiently in a hybrid or fully remote environment. Associates are highly efficient and just as responsive, enabling them to preserve quality of service and team cohesion.
It can be argued is time for law firms to make their work policies more remote-first. It includes identifying areas for efficiency improvement, moderating communication and guiding the attorneys about work-from-home expectations. This way, instead of leaning into reactive policies, the firm can proactively pre-empt productivity lapses and delays by offering supportive assistance.
Are Lawyers Well-Suited to Remote Work?
Just because law is often characterised as a traditional profession with a reluctance for change, it doesn’t mean that’s true of every law firm or lawyer.
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