Working with clients or being around people who have experienced or are experiencing significant trauma and stress can take a toll on lawyers. It’s not a stereotype: Lawyers work very long hours. Most lawyers work outside the usual nine-to-five workday preparing court documents, communicating with clients, and catching up on non-billable work.
Top 10 Low-Stress Jobs That Pay Well. 1 1. Actuary. Do you love math and statistics and want to work a relatively low-stress, 9-to-5 job? You might be happy as an actuary. Your ... 2 2. Audiologist. 3 3. Occupational Therapist. 4 4. Operations Research Analyst. 5 5. Software Developer. More items
There are no totally stress-free jobs, but these low-stress careers come pretty close. Earning a high income may not be worth it if your nerves are constantly frayed from stress.
But that heightened capacity, unfortunately, also applies to increasing levels of lawyer stress. While any career in legal inevitably comes with some level of stress, an abundance of stress can negatively impact your physical health.
Estate Planning Although being a legal clerk is the easiest career path, it is only suited for beginners. Estate planning wins the most stress-free legal practice area when practicing law for lawyers. Many lawyers avoid estate planning as it is a field of law associated with death.
The happiest attorneys, therefore, are those who experience a cultural fit. This means they work for firms where they are free to act independently, do work that matters to them and collaborate on teams with people who complement their personality and communication style.
Why is being a lawyer stressful? Every day, attorneys juggle challenging deadlines, long work hours, and complex matters. In addition, attorneys often have to communicate with clients in emotional situations.
Legal Aid Attorney Legal Aid attorneys provide counsel to people who cannot afford to pay for their own lawyer. These are public interest jobs that many lawyers get a great deal of satisfaction out of, even if they don't make a large amount of money.
However, there are many sectors of law which are less stressful:Real estate law.Intellectual property law.High Street family law.Government lawyers.Working In-House.
31 of the happiest jobsTeaching assistant. National average salary: $29,392 per year. ... Early childhood education teacher. National average salary: $39,022 per year. ... Sound engineering technician. National average salary: $40,254 per year. ... Event planner. ... Heavy equipment operator. ... Contractor. ... Recruiter. ... Property manager.More items...•
For the third year in a row, enlisted military personnel, firefighter, airline pilot, and police officer are the four most stressful occupations, according to CareerCast's annual Most Stressful Jobs report.
Being a lawyer can be very fun and very rewarding. But as the other posts have indicated it requires a lot of work, time, money, and attention to detail. As with most challenging things in life it can be well worth it. You indicated that your parents want you to be a lawyer.
The 25 most stressful jobs:Sales Manager.Anesthesiologist.Construction Manager.Patrol Officer.IT Manager.Physician.Lawyer.Financial Manager.More items...•
How much do attorneys make? Well, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income for attorneys in the US is less than $120K. The top 10% make over $208K. However, the top 1% of attorneys make $500K or more per year.
The majority of lawyers, or rather attorneys, are not rich, but many of them make a decent income in exchange for complex work.
Highest paid lawyers: salary by practice areaTax attorney (tax law): $122,000.Corporate lawyer: $115,000.Employment lawyer: $87,000.Real Estate attorney: $86,000.Divorce attorney: $84,000.Immigration attorney: $84,000.Estate attorney: $83,000.Public Defender: $63,000.More items...•
As a general rule, the two things that make a law practice the most stressful are ( a) long, unpredictable hours, and (b) conflict between the client and somebody else. The less stressful practice areas are specialties in which attorneys have reasonably predictable schedules and the client is not currently experiencing a major conflict ...
The lawyer’s job is being paid to solve other people’s legal problems, and their lives are at stake or their futures could be jeopardised because of your solution .
Most things in Big Law are difficult because of the stress of the expectations of your bosses and your clients, the very long hours, the often complex deals. Thing complex contracts, where if you make a mistake you are looking at major trouble later on. Think huge real estate deals.
Some of them are difficult because of the vast amount of data, but also the need to understand medical terminology. Also the need to be able to stand toe to toe with medical experts. Think medical malpractice.
Stress comes from a variety of sources. In the law, much stress comes from work environment and pressure. If you are compelled to work extraordinary hours to meet a minimum requirement, that's going to be stressful regardless of the area of the law.
For instance, it appears to me that being a career law clerk to a judge could be a less stressful career path, so long as the judge is a reasonable boss. Similarly, being a government lawyer who writes regulations or administrative rulings appears to be relatively low stress.
FAMILY WARFARE. Most lawyers will say divorce is probably the top stressful area of practice — not because of the law (which is actually quite straightforward) but the people involved in the matter. The divorcing couple is already in some considerable consternation because of the marital breakdown.
About 42 percent of small firm attorneys say they work more than 60 hours a week, compared with about 39 percent of those at midsize firms.
While midsize firm respondents were more likely than small firm survey takers to say they were either "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their opportunities for advancement at their firm, small firm attorneys still had the most people in the "very satisfied" category.
In fact, some say the path to partnership is more attainable at midsize firms because of the fact they offer bigger opportunities to attorneys at earlier stages of their career.
Once established in the partnership, attorneys at midsize firms are often better positioned than their large-firm counterparts to succeed in part because they're given more leeway to offer clients flexible rate structures, which for many attorneys can be crucial.
But for those who've forgone the largest firms for smaller pastures, the benefits are clear. Direct contact with clients. Fewer late-night emails or weekends in the office. Greater leeway to negotiate rates. And, perhaps most significantly, more opportunities to do important work early on.
O f course, smaller firms also enjoy flexibility when it comes to offering clients competitive rates and can offer big opportunities to talented young lawyers looking to get their feet wet. In fact, many attorneys who left careers at larger firms for the other end of the spectrum say they wouldn't have it any other way.
Being a lawyer is no easy profession, no matter where you work. More than 60 percent of private practice attorneys report feeling stressed either most or all of the time, as do 44 percent of in-house counsel and 38 percent of government lawyers. But for those who've forgone the largest firms for smaller pastures, the benefits are clear.
To help manage stress, it’s important to set and express your workload limits and boundaries. For example, if you’re a solo lawyer, set a realistic limit for how many clients and how much work you can take on. Then, make sure you stick to it. If you work at a law firm, if possible, tell your boss when too much is too much. While this may seem uncomfortable, knowing your limits can help keep the detrimental effects of lawyer burnout at bay.
Another lawyer stress solution could be sitting in your home or at the other end of a phone call. Connecting with your loved ones can be a wonderful way to manage stress. If you’ve had a long, stressful workday, try unplugging from your devices and spending time with the people in your life who make you feel happy.
For example, if your client is going through a divorce, the stress of the situation can impact you as a lawyer. It is also not unusual for clients to take their negative feelings and stress from their legal situations out on their lawyers. This can add to the emotional and mental toll lawyers experience.
When you’re stressed, your relationships with friends, family, and even yourself suffer. Stressed-out lawyers get into a cycle of working and having work on their minds constantly—even on the weekends or when spending time with loved ones. If stress leads to overwork that tips the scale of your work-life balance in a negative way, that means less time—or less quality time—with the people you care about.
One major reason for this: Stress activates a human “fight-or-flight” response in the body and the release of stress hormones. An overabundance of stress hormone in your body can lead to physical symptoms.
Whether it’s due to your workload, the emotional toll of legal work, or the pressure to keep up in a competitive industry, stress can have serious impacts on our physical, mental, and social health. While these stressors won’t go away, you can react to them and manage your stress more positively. The key is knowing how to handle stress and having strategies to smooth the peaks. From exercise to talking to experts to practicing mindfulness, the way that we respond to stress is within our power, with some practice.
Lawyers are high achievers by necessity. To succeed in the competitive, pressure-filled legal industry, successful attorneys have exceptional work ethic and perseverance. But that heightened capacity, unfortunately, also applies to increasing levels of lawyer stress.
Low Stress Jobs. Like most working people, your job likely consumes a significant portion of your time. As such, you probably want to spend your time in a profession that is fulfilling and at a company that addresses your priorities. If your current position is causing excessive stress due to hours, company culture or other reasons, ...
If keeping stress levels low is important to your quality of life, working in a role with less pressure might help you enjoy a better day-to-day professional experience. The list above is just a small sample of jobs with lower-than-average stress levels. Whether you’re looking to work at a more leisurely pace, achieve a better work-life balance or find a position that better suits your personality and interests, there are many low-stress jobs available across a variety of industries.
Job Description: Conduct fieldwork or laboratory research, analyze physical aspects of the Earth such as composition and structure
Job Description: Heat glass and shape molten glass into glassware, inspect products for quality
Job Description: Check for and correct grammatical, typographical, or style errors in copies
Job Description: Develop theories of observed physical phenomena, conduct experiments, publish findings in academic journals
Job Description: Design and evaluate solar projects for residential, commercial, or industrial customers, such as water heating systems
Job Description: Handle ovens and other machines to produce baked goods from measured ingredients
Job Description: Prepare course materials, give lectures to students, grade assignments (may include laboratory work) and exams, conduct research
Demand for physical therapist assistants is expected to grow more than 32% from 2019 to 2029, according to the BLS. That means people entering this dynamic field shouldn’t have to stress about finding a job. Workers also only need an associate degree, which means they won’t have the stress of trying to pay for an advanced education. Physical therapist assistants help patients perform exercises and movements as directed by a physical therapist.
They create prosthetics for those who need artificial limbs or fit braces and other orthopedic devices for those who need support to walk. Either way, these professionals can have a life-changing impact on patients who regain independence and mobility through these devices. Orthotists and prosthetists enjoy low unemployment and a good work-life balance, which helps keep their occupation relatively low-stress.
Education required: Master’s Degree. If you don’t like math, you might find being a statistician stressful. However, for those who enjoy working with numbers, this occupation can be a dream. Statisticians compile and analyze data in a variety of sectors, including health care, government, research or academia.
If you don’t like math, you might find being a statistician stressful. However, for those who enjoy working with numbers, this occupation can be a dream. Statisticians compile and analyze data in a variety of sectors, including health care, government, research or academia. While they may occasionally get a last-minute data request that could cause some stress, these professionals typically maintain regular hours while working in an office setting.
With nearly no unemployment reported in the field, dental hygienists benefit from a strong job market. They work in dental offices to clean teeth and educate patients on proper oral hygiene. Hygienists typically work regular hours, and many are employed part time, according to the BLS. That makes this a good occupation for those seeking a low-stress job that comes with a good work-life balance.
Audiologists diagnose hearing loss and other inner ear problems. It's a good-paying job, earning a median salary of over $77,000 per year. 2 
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in the field will expand by 16% through 2029. 3 
Actuaries often work for insurance companies, analyzing risk, and helping their employers minimize costs. They also work for a variety of investment firms, including banks and financial advisors.
What's most important is to find a job that's the best fit for your professional and personal circumstances —and that's a job you enjoy working at .