More than 20% of lawyers intend to leave their jobs this year

Now in its 11th edition, the Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking is a defining feature of the Legal Firm of Choice Survey, which identifies the most sought-after private legal practices across Australia.

The latest survey was conducted from 1 April to 31 May and garnered a total of 612 responses from legal professionals currently engaged in private practice throughout the country. It recorded the attitudes, priorities, and perceptions of these practitioners, offering a valuable glimpse into the evolving landscape of the legal profession.

Last month, Lawyers Weekly also published the Top 25 Attraction Firms ranking for 2025-26 and revealed which BigLaw firms are climbing in popularity and which are slipping among lawyers this year.

Plans to leave

Survey participants were asked to indicate whether they were planning to leave their current employer within the next 12 months, providing a clearer read on expected movement across the profession.

While nearly eight in 10 respondents (79 per cent), spanning both private practice and in-house roles but weighted towards private practice, said they have no plans to leave their current employer, 21 per cent indicated that they are actively looking to move somewhere new.

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These findings are consistent with last year’s Legal Firm of Choice Survey, which similarly showed that 79 per cent of respondents intended to stay with their current employer.

Looking more closely at the findings, 6 per cent of the respondents said they plan to remain in private practice but move to a different law firm.

This marks a decline from last year, when 10 per cent indicated they intended to make a move, representing a 4 per cent decline.

The findings also reflected growing interest in in-house roles, with 7 per cent of respondents indicating they plan to make the move, making it the most popular destination for those leaving their employer.

This marks a 4 per cent increase from last year, when just 3 per cent said they intended to do so.

Beyond this, 2 per cent said they intend to move into government, 4 per cent aspire to establish their own legal practice, and a further 2 per cent indicated they plan to leave the legal profession altogether.

Which lawyers are on the move

A breakdown of the figures reveals a modest gender difference in career intentions, with male lawyers slightly more likely than female lawyers to say they plan to leave their current employers.

Specifically, 21 per cent of male respondents indicated an intention to move on, versus 19 per cent of female lawyers.

These findings mark a clear reversal from last year, when a higher proportion of female lawyers (22 per cent) indicated plans to move compared to their male counterparts (17 per cent).

Among both groups, in-house roles emerged as the most sought-after destination for those planning to leave, with 6 per cent of male respondents and 5 per cent of female respondents indicating they intend to move into an in-house position.

When it comes to age, respondents aged 40 to 49 recorded the highest intent to move, with 27 per cent of this group indicating they are looking to leave their current employer – a sharp 14-point increase on last year’s findings.

They were followed by those aged 18 to 29 (24 per cent), 60- to 69-year-olds (21 per cent), and 30- to 39-year-olds (19 per cent).

At the other end of the scale, respondents aged 50 to 59 reported no intention to move in the next 12 months.

The findings mark a shift from last year, when mobility was highest among 30- to 39-year-olds, also at 27 per cent.

The results also showed that lawyers based in NSW recorded the highest intention to leave their current employer, with nearly 24 per cent of respondents indicating they plan to move on.

Lawyers residing in Victoria followed at 22 per cent, while Queensland recorded 18 per cent.

Reflections

Speaking about the results, Lawyers Weekly managing editor Jerome Doraisamy said the results speak to the myriad professional, technological, and economic pressures facing practitioners across the board.

“In a time of ongoing inflation and cost-of-living pressures, together with voluminous technological change and corresponding professional expectations to adapt one’s practice and service delivery, it is understandable that many lawyers will feel uncertain about their futures and whether their current employers can meet their evolving needs,” he said.

“For law firms across the country, big and small, the results should serve as a reminder to engage directly and openly with their lawyers, understand their ambitions and circumstances, and – as best as possible – work with them.”

“Attracting and maintaining top talent will be a headline challenge for law firms in FY2026–27, and cannot be sidelined amid the push for greater AI use or jockeying for market position.”