1 in 3 lawyers 'don't want their children to follow footsteps'

One in three lawyers would advise their children not to join the profession, it has been found, hinting at a particularly disgruntled workforce.

One in three lawyers would advise their children not to join the profession, it has been found, hinting at a particularly disgruntled workforce.

In a survey which contacted 1,000 lawyers, HR, IT and financial professionals, male lawyers were found to be the most concerned about the state of their profession, with almost a third (32.3 per cent) admitting that they would not recommend the job to their children.

However, far from the job itself being the driving force of such negativity, it has been suggested that, with the economic slowdown taking hold, concerned lawyers are simply seeing more financial rewards elsewhere.

"With dark clouds on the economic horizon, employers may revert to short-term retention tactics - focusing too heavily on salaries, for example," said one recruitmentdirector.

The findings point clearly to financial incentives when it is understood that 35 per cent of respondents cited better opportunities elsewhere, with 25 per cent openly admitting the financial rewards for other jobs would encourage parents to divert children's attentions away from law.

With many of the negative points being put down to short term economic gloom, there are sill many opportunities to remember in law, and the industry is thought of as one of the few left that can practically offer a job for life.