Most people believe that the legal profession is a stressful vocation due to the conflict and tight deadlines that are typically part of legal work. However, some practice areas are definitely more stressful than others because the consequences are much more significant if a lawyer fails, and client interactions can be heated. Indeed, lawyers who practice in some areas of the law are often made of tougher stuff than the rest of us who practice in less stressful fields.
Family Law
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Family law might hands down be the most stressful practice area in the legal profession. Clients often lose their minds when they face divorce and child custody issues, and this can make a representation extremely difficult. Lawyers can face significant consequences if they fall short since this might mean that a parent will see their children less or some other bad outcome might result. Moreover, family law can involve a number of emergent motions that need to be completed on an expedited basis.
In addition, when lawyers practice family law, their clients are always individuals rather than companies. Individuals are much more difficult to deal with as money spent has a larger impact on them, and they might have more issues paying for fees. Family law also might require more hand-holding than a typical legal matter since clients are usually very stressed throughout the family law process.
Criminal Law
There are many reasons why criminal law is more stressful than other practice areas. Perhaps most importantly, the consequences of failure in criminal law are much more significant than in any other area of the law. I once spoke to a criminal law attorney who told me his stomach was in knots the night before sentencing since he knew that his client could go to jail for a serious length of time if the attorney did not do his best work.
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Even though most criminal cases end in plea deals, trial work is common among criminal lawyers, and criminal trials can be intense. Not only are criminal lawyers expected to perform at the top of their abilities during the trial, they may need to complete briefs under tight timeframes while they are not in court as well. In addition, criminal lawyers almost always represent people rather than businesses, so all of the issues that surround representing individuals are experienced by criminal lawyers.
Immigration Law
Practitioners have also told me that immigration law is a stressful practice area. The consequences of failure in immigration law can be extremely dire, as they can lead to family separations and other negative outcomes. In addition, immigration law almost always involves individuals rather than businesses, so all of the factors inherent in dealing with personal issues arise while handling immigration law matters. Moreover, immigration attorneys often need to work on tight timeframes to complete tasks, which can compound the stress felt by these practitioners. Some immigration lawyers have told me that payment issues can arise in the practice as well. I have never dabbled in immigration law, but it is tangential to some of my prior matters, and I can see that it might be stressful to practice immigration law in some contexts.
All told, being a lawyer is stressful, and stress is usually just a part of being a practicing attorney. However, some lawyers who practice in certain parts of the legal profession may experience more stress than others.
Jordan Rothman is a partner of The Rothman Law Firm, a full-service New York and New Jersey law firm. He is also the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a website discussing how he paid off his student loans. You can reach Jordan through email at jordan@rothman.law.