Lawyer wellbeing and workload check-in
A non-clinical work-design worksheet with support routes. Use it when repeated workload pressure needs a structured conversation.
Boundary: this is not clinical guidance or a diagnostic tool. Take urgent or personal concerns to appropriate professional support.
Operational guidance, not legal advice. No confidential information is needed. Download the original PDF guide (original edition, v1, 18 August 2026).
1. Frame the decision
Identify work-design pressure and signpost support. Do not turn wellbeing into individual performance scoring.
Specific focus: identify work patterns the firm can change and signpost confidential help.
Questions to answer:
- Which patterns create pressure?
- Are priorities and supervision clear?
- Can concerns be raised safely?
- Where is confidential support?
Avoid:
- diagnosing colleagues
- unnecessary health data
- mindfulness instead of workload action
2. Control sheet
Treat a blank evidence field as a reason to pause, not a reason to guess. Record sources and owners before changing the workflow.
| Area | Evidence to collect | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| Demand | Volume and peaks | Pressure described |
| Control | Priorities and escalation | Conflict route exists |
| Support | Supervision and help | Options visible |
| Change | Work-design action | Owner named |
| Review | Date and feedback | Follow-up planned |
Fail closed: if an input, owner or approval is missing, record the gap and keep the affected step outside the proposed change.
3. Working record
Complete this page with counts, dates and named sources. Do not include client names, matter names, contract text or privileged material.
| Field | Evidence or answer |
|---|---|
| Work pattern | |
| Pressure point | |
| Support | |
| Work-design action | |
| Owner | |
| Review date |
Evidence quality check:
- The source is named and dated.
- An estimate is labelled as an estimate.
- The owner can reproduce the measure.
- The same method can be used after a change.
4. Decision record
Select the outcome that the evidence supports. A stop or no-change decision is valid.
- Stop: a required source, owner or approval is missing.
- Fix: repair the underlying route before adding technology or cost.
- Test: run one bounded change with a baseline and review date.
- Proceed: adopt only the option supported by the recorded evidence.
| Decision field | Record |
|---|---|
| Chosen outcome | |
| Reason and evidence | |
| Owner and approvers | |
| Review or expiry date |
Related pages: the growth worksheet (/resources/law-firm-growth-without-extra-headcount/) and the guides hub (/law-firm-guides/). Questions: hello@margolegal.com.
Primary sources
- LawCare - support for the legal sector: https://lawcare.org.uk/
- NHS Every Mind Matters: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/
- SRA - Effective supervision: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/effective-supervision-guidance/
Source status: links checked 15 September 2026 (all three verified live 200; legacy PDF named "NHS Every Mind Matters: Mindfulness" - linked to the Every Mind Matters home as the owning page). Confirm the current version and obtain appropriate professional advice before relying on regulated, contractual, privacy, security, insurance, financial or wellbeing conclusions.
MARGO LEGAL LTD, company number 17322603. Registered in England and Wales. Registered office: 66 Paul Street, London, England, EC2A 4NA. Originally published as a PDF (v1, 18 August 2026); converted to HTML 15 September 2026.