This is supposed to be the destination. You thought once you made it here, things would feel different.

We’re talking about your successful legal career. On paper, everything looks great. More than great, even. You’re bringing in $5M annually for your firm, and your equity stake has increased. You may be leading a practice group and clients trust you with their most important matters.

So why are you missing another family dinner? Why does Sunday night feel like dread instead of rest?

You’re not alone. In 2025, for the first time ever, a majority of attorneys felt stressed all the time. And the amount of money they’re bringing in doesn’t necessarily change that. In fact, when partners choose a new firm, money ranks sixth in what actually matters to them. Not first or second or even third. Sixth.

So what do you do when you find yourself needing more beyond the paycheck?

The ongoing crisis among attorneys

If you’re wondering whether what you’re feeling is just you, it’s not. Industry research shows this is a pervasive problem, and it’s one that’s getting worse.

Take the Law360 2025 survey, for example. In addition to lawyers being stressed most or all of the time, the study also found that:

Job satisfaction was at 61%, the lowest they’ve recorded.
Women lawyers experience chronic stress at 47%, compared to 31% for men.
Associates report work-life balance deterioration at nearly twice the rate of equity partners, which can impact your ability to staff matters effectively if this leads to attrition.

Despite these numbers, only 18% of those surveyed said they’re likely to look for a new job. People know they’re miserable. They just don’t think there’s anything they can do about it. Yet when lateral partners move for the right reasons, 86% are satisfied with their new firms.

What drives the search for a new firm? According to research on lateral partner moves, lack of confidence in firm management and strategy was the most significant factor at 44%. Thirty-five percent cited a lack of support to build their practice, and culture ranked third at approximately 31% overall.

What partners are looking for

Research that looks at sentiment behind lateral partner moves shows what drives their decisions. While lack of confidence in firm management and strategy was the most significant factor at 44%, partners also rank specific attributes when evaluating potential new firms.

Two factors consistently rank highest: practice area support (4.41 out of 5) and firm culture (4.30 out of 5). These rankings reveal what partners are actively looking for, not just what they’re leaving behind.

How firms support (or fail to support) practice growth

When partners rank factors in choosing their new firm, practice area support comes first, rated 4.41 out of 5.

Practice area support might mean things like:

Staffing associates who can handle sophisticated work
Providing marketing resources that generate leads and help you scale your business
Cross-selling opportunities that make sense for your clients

This kind of support has a measurable impact; industry research shows most lateral partners increase their originations after joining firms that better support their practice.

Building (and maintaining) a positive workplace culture

Culture ranked second when partners chose their new firm. That tracks, considering that culture touches on every part of working at a law firm.

It’s whether your firm values collaboration or operates as individual fiefdoms.
It’s whether leadership communicates transparently or makes decisions behind closed doors.
It’s whether you can set boundaries, or there’s an expectation that you’re always available.
It’s whether conflicts can be directly addressed or if they’re swept under the rug.
It’s whether your firm supports professional development and mentorship or everyone is left to figure it out themselves.

Culture also means whether work-life integration is actually possible. The Law360 2025 In-House Survey found 75% of in-house counsel are satisfied with their work-life balance. These are lawyers who work in demanding positions, just in different environments than law firms.

It’s not impossible for lawyers to have balance in general, but it can be impossible at certain firms, and female attorneys feel this more acutely, reporting greater work-life balance deterioration than men.

Your firm doesn’t always stay the right one for you forever

While the reasons partners stay at firms are varied, it’s also common to avoid exploring options because it can feel like admitting you made a mistake choosing the firm. After all, if you’re bringing in plenty of business and you’re still miserable, doesn’t that mean you chose the wrong firm?

Not necessarily. What worked five or ten years ago might not work now, and that doesn’t mean you made a mistake. It just means you’ve outgrown what once worked.

Start by figuring out what actually changed

Mapping out your professional evolution can help you understand the underlying issues. What did your firm promise when you joined or made partner? What resources were supposed to be available? What was the culture like? What was leadership’s approach to strategy?

Now write down what you actually have. (Not what you wish you had or what you’re telling yourself is good enough. What do you actually have?)

The gap between those two lists tells you something important. Did your firm promise a collaborative culture, but you’re in an eat-what-you-kill environment? Were you supposed to get marketing support and associate resources, but you’re doing your own business development while covering paralegal work?

Also, write down what changed about you and what you need now that you didn’t need five years ago. Time with aging parents? Predictable hours because your kid has health issues? The ability to travel less? Room to mentor instead of just grind?

Consider, as well, how your clients’ needs have changed. Do they need more sophisticated services or resources that your firm can’t provide? Are they bringing you matters that would benefit from cross-practice collaboration, but your firm operates in silos? These are just a few questions to keep in mind as you weigh whether your firm gives you the right platform for your clients.

These gaps show you whether the misalignment is temporary or fundamental. If the firm promised resources it can’t deliver, or if your life requires flexibility the firm culture won’t allow, those aren’t problems that resolve themselves.

Decide what’s fixable and what’s not

Some of these issues might be fixable at your current firm. Some may not be.

Start by asking yourself whether your firm can provide what you need, and will it? Those are two different questions.

Can your firm provide more associates? Does it have the budget and pipeline? Will it allocate them to you? That takes a conversation with a timeline attached.
Can your firm support your practice expanding into new geographies? Does it have offices there or plans to open them? Will your firm invest in that expansion?

Think about what you want your practice to look like

Not what it looks like. What do you want it to look like?

Do you want to spend more time mentoring or developing new business and less time spent on billable hours? Build a team that can handle execution while you focus on client relationships? Expand into a new practice area or geographic market?

Some of this is financial. If you want to scale, you need resources. But some of it isn’t about money. Maybe you want more control over your schedule or to work with like-minded partners.

Industry research shows that most lateral partners increase their originations after moving to firms that better support their practice. But the most important question isn’t whether you could make more money somewhere else, but rather whether you could build your ideal practice and life somewhere else.

Make a decision (with a timeline)

If you want to explore opportunities for growth and improvement at your current firm, build the business case. Show them the revenue you’re generating, the business you’re turning away, and what you could do with proper support.

Ask for a decision with a timeline for when resources will materialize, then hold them to that timeline. If deadlines pass and you still don’t have what they promised, that tells you something about their priorities.

You could also start looking now. The lateral hiring process takes time, so starting conversations doesn’t mean you’re leaving tomorrow.

What doesn’t work is staying without a plan.

The path forward

There’s no single right answer here. Some partners find that having an honest conversation with their firm changes everything. The firm invests in resources, strategy aligns, and the practice they wanted to build becomes possible.

Other partners realize the conversation confirms what they already suspected, that what they need isn’t available where they are. And that’s fine too.

If you’re not sure which path makes sense for your situation, let’s talk. I help partners figure out whether their current firm can actually provide what they need and, if not, which firms can.