Zarah ChoudharyLegal professionals with children are experiencing higher stress levels than their counterparts in other industries, according to the Modern Families Index (MFI) 2025: Legal Sector Report by Bright Horizons Family Solutions.
The findings, released ahead of National Stress Awareness Month in April, highlighted the intense pressures faced by parents in the legal sector, as they juggle demanding careers with family responsibilities.
The report, based on a survey of parents and carers not connected with Bright Horizons, found that over a third (36%) of legal sector parents reported the highest stress levels—significantly higher than the 29% recorded across the wider MFI population and the 23% in other professional services.
Meanwhile, fewer than one in 10 (9%) legal sector parents reported low stress levels, compared to 18% in the overall survey.
The study also highlighted productivity challenges faced by legal sector parents.
Over seven in 10 (71%) reported that childcare breakdowns had disrupted their work in the past year, compared to 64% in the overall MFI survey.
Furthermore, while nearly three in 10 (28%) of all MFI respondents said they had more flexible working arrangements than the previous year, this figure dropped to just 22% for legal sector employees.
As employers continue to navigate the return-to-office debate, these findings underscored the need for practical support to help working parents balance career and home life effectively.
Despite these challenges, the legal sector appeared to be ahead of other industries in providing support to working parents.
More than seven in 10 (72%) legal sector parents felt their employer cared about their work-home balance, compared to under two-thirds across all sectors.
Additionally, nearly three-quarters (73%) said they were confident discussing family-related issues with their employer, compared to 62% across all sectors.
When asked what would encourage them to attend the office more regularly, legal sector parents prioritised flexibility in working days and hours.
Beyond that, 35% said help with childcare costs would be a major incentive, while 27% pointed to the need for better childcare cover.
Jennifer Liston-Smith, head of thought-leadership at Bright Horizons, said: “The findings of the survey demonstrate four reasons for legal firms, and indeed all employers, to invest in supporting the working parents and carers in their workforces, productivity – with care solutions to enable people to attend work.
“Easing the mental load – to enable everyone to be focused and psychologically present, even while carrying multiple responsibilities
“Talent attraction and retention – being the employer of choice when (77%) of legal sector parents say they carefully consider their childcare options before accepting a promotion or new job.
“Enabling potential – three-quarters of these legal sector parents felt confident that they could progress their careers whilst working flexibly, so given the support they are ready to apply their ambition to the task in hand.”
She added: “The pressures on law firms continue to increase in their complexity in a world of rapid technological change and economic uncertainty.
“However, one thing that is a consistent focus for most firms is talent attraction and retention. To recruit and retain working parents, businesses must be offering practical support so parents can manage their high pressure roles, alongside family life.
“Law firms that fail to provide sufficient support will be those that suffer reduced employee loyalty and engagement.
“Employee expectations are changing. It may come as a surprise to some law firm partners that 30% in our survey are looking for ‘parenting advice for teenagers’ when asked what they’d look for in a good employer.
“Further, access to reliable, flexible back-up care for children, adults, elders, and even pets can be a true sanity-saver to working parents and carers who would otherwise struggle to work when care arrangements break down or schedules change.”
