Support for solicitors when they need it most

Since the precursor of The Solicitors’ Charity was established in the 1850s (with help from Solicitors Journal), solicitors’ needs have evolved. We always adapt to meet those needs and never more so than in the last year.

We understand it’s not enough to focus solely on financial assistance. We need to consider the whole person if we are to deliver our vision: ‘All solicitors are supported in times of need or crisis’. We must focus on all aspects of wellbeing: mental, physical, financial, social and professional.

In 2020, many people and organisations had to think deeply about how they function. It provided an important opportunity to understand better what solicitors and their dependents need by way of support, now and in the future. We carried out research that has helped us pinpoint current needs and widen access to support.

We will continue to ensure our support helps tackle the impact of long-term health or disability issues – providing equipment, living allowances, adaptations to accommodation and other tailored support. Our commitment to those who need longer term and life-long support remains undimmed.

However, for nearly 60 per cent of research participants, their priority was employment advice, including practical support, such as help with CVs or interview technique. Four in 10 respondents thought our traditional help with day-to-day living costs was important, but similar numbers thought support for re-training or career coaching was a priority.

In response, all solicitors on the roll (or previously on the roll) in England and Wales can now access a wider range of financial, practical and emotional help.

We help ‘plug the gap’ for solicitors with reduced or no work, whose income has fallen below the Joseph Rowntree minimum income standard (a tool that we use to check support eligibility). It measures whether income is sufficient to have what the public sees as a decent standard of living.

We will help with the practicalities of gaining new work, whether that’s career transition counselling, help with CV writing or interviews (including travel expenses), IT for those working from home, practising certificates and even clothing.

Many research participants highlighted the need for more mental wellbeing support. We have long been significant funders of our sister charity, LawCare, who works in this sphere; and we will continue to deepen our relationship with them. We now also fund more fixed duration therapy, prescribed where the NHS is unable to urgently assist.

Overall, our approach is to help solicitors and their dependents return to being self-sustaining, wherever realistically possible.

We can see there has been a shift in the people who seek our help. For instance, between 2014 and 2019, over 60 per cent of the people we helped were 50 or under. In 2020, 88 per cent were 60 or under. We will keep abreast of these changes by deepening our engagement with the profession to understand who needs our help.