In today’s legal profession, female attorneys face unprecedented challenges. While juggling being a dedicated professional who delivers top client service and builds a book of business, female attorneys often find themselves being the primary caregiver in their family when caregiving stress is at an all-time high in the U.S.
The legal field’s demands are not new. Still, today’s pressures are amplified by the evolving responsibilities of caregiving — whether for children or aging parents — making it harder for women to balance the load. It’s always been a challenge for women attorneys to navigate pregnancy, maternity leave, and caregiving with billable hours, marketing, and client demands. But today caregiving brings an even larger set of responsibilities, stressors, and costs than attorneys 20 years ago had to contend with.
Despite more women graduating from law schools and starting in law firms than ever before, the legal industry continues to lose top female talent in the partner ranks, often due to the unsustainable pressures they face at home and work. Studies show they continue to shoulder an unfair share of the responsibilities in the family regardless of their hours worked or income earned outside the home. Even the surgeon general issued a report in August warning that parenting is now a public health crisis in the U.S., with 48% of parents reporting that their stress is “completely overwhelming” and 41% saying “most days they are so stressed they cannot function.” Now add being an attorney on top of that.
As a result, many talented female lawyers find themselves going in-house away from the demands of the billable hour or leaving private practice altogether, seeking roles in other industries, or choosing to focus on their families. This can be a loss for women’s careers, their family’s income, the law firms striving to maintain diverse teams, and the clients needing the best in legal counsel.
Recent studies highlight a growing trend of women leaving legal careers, with work-life balance being a major factor. According to a report by Leopard Solutions, 82% of women in top law firms cited a lack of flexibility in work schedules as a key reason for their departure. Additionally, workplace culture was a factor for 90% of the women who left, often due to insufficient support for balancing professional and personal responsibilities, particularly childcare.
What’s happening in law firms across the U.S., and why are female lawyers increasingly opting out of private practice? More importantly, what can law firms do to retain top female talent and support their dual roles as attorneys and caregivers?
Unique Pressures Faced by Female Lawyers
The legal profession is demanding by nature, but for female lawyers, these demands are often compounded by societal and familial expectations. Women, particularly those in their 30s and 40s, frequently find themselves navigating the challenges of building a successful career while raising a family, handling household duties, and even stepping in as primary caregivers for aging parents who are more likely today to live in another city or state so they are left managing and coordinating care from afar.
In private practice, the long hours, client demands, and being available around the clock can make it difficult for female lawyers to juggle their dual roles. For many, the stress of handling family life — organizing childcare; managing household tasks, school obligations, and extracurricular activities; and tending to family emergencies — on top of the professional responsibilities becomes overwhelming. This “double burden” often results in burnout, leading many women to consider leaving private practice in favor of less demanding career paths.
Why Traditional Law Firm Benefits May Not Be Enough
Law firms have long offered traditional benefits such as parental leave, flexible albeit long hours, and work-from-home options to support work-life balance. While these are certainly steps in the right direction, they often fall short of addressing the root causes of why many women feel forced to leave private practice. Flexibility, while helpful, doesn’t alleviate the day-to-day burden of managing the logistics of both career and family.
The challenge isn’t just about time — it’s about mental bandwidth. Managing the details of personal and family life while excelling in a high-pressure career requires more than just flexibility. It requires the mental space to operationalize running a family, plus practical, hands-on support to complete the myriad of tasks. And many times, these tasks can only be completed during normal business hours at the same time as client meetings and court dates.
Why Women Are Leaving Private Practice to Care for Family
The legal industry is structured in a way that often leaves women feeling they must choose between career advancement and family commitments. Studies have shown that women in law firms are more likely to experience burnout due to the conflicting demands of their professional and personal lives. The fear of falling behind in their career, coupled with the guilt of not being fully present at home, creates a scenario where women feel they have no option but to step back.
This exodus is troubling for law firms, not only because they lose valuable talent but also because it disrupts the diversity that firms have worked hard to build. Female lawyers bring unique perspectives, insights, and approaches to the legal field. When they leave, firms lose not only their skills but also their leadership potential and the ability to mentor the next generation of lawyers.
