There is no doubt that lawyers can suffer from depression. Young attorneys especially work grueling schedules. But, does the average divorce attorney suffer greater risk?
The short answer is yes. Research shows that attorneys who commonly deal with emotionally traumatic issues such as divorce tend to take on a greater amount of that emotional stress from their clients. The result is a tendency to become jaded,
disenfranchised and depressed.
Most people would joke that at the very least a practicing lawyer deserves some side effects to their job. The obvious observation being that lawyers have it easy, charging steep fees and living luxurious lifestyles. However, this isn’t the truth across the board, especially with young, fresh out of law school attorneys.
And, it is these newly minted lawyers that suffer the most consequences emotionally, physically and mentally. For the sake of understanding what young lawyers go though, imagine your self a young lawyer, just having completed the bar and secured a position in a firm. You have massive student loans, so there is some pressure to succeed and secure a well-paying job.
Unless you are very advanced in skill, when you graduate from law school, you can expect to make a fraction of the salary of top attorneys. Once you pass the bar and continue accumulating clients, your salary will increase. However, depending on your skill and what you specialize in, it can take years to get in to the three digits category.
In the mean time, you are often expected to work 80-hour weeks. This takes its toll on everything from your physical health to your mental wellbeing. Your social life will disappear along with opportunities for sleep. Relaxing can become more difficult, leading to exhaustion, chronic fatigue and alcohol use.
Not to mention the subject matter you are expected to attend to as a young divorce attorney. No one said it would be easy and quite admittedly you yourself knew what you were getting into. Dealing with divorces everyday can make even the most emotionally distant lawyers a little batty. There are custody battles, alimony issues—basically the worst and most ugly of human behaviors.
Sounds great, right? Maybe have a little more sympathy for your lawyer buddies now? While being a divorce attorney comes with its perks, there are definite down sides that the average person doesn’t realize when making those oft quoted lawyer jokes. Depression is quite common among young lawyers, especially those in family law, and now you can understand why.
If you are a young divorce attorney and are suffering from depression, there are things that you can do. First of all, schedule an appointment with a talk therapist. Even just an hour a month could help you work through some of your emotional strain. You may not be able to discuss the cases you are working on, but you can relate how they make you feel. Next, find time to exercise. Studies show that even a short walk around the block can help battle depression. Take a walk during your lunch or while you are waiting to meet with a client.
Being a divorce attorney isn’t all fast cars and fancy condos, there is serious work involved that in some cases can lead to depression.
