Top law firms for hours & work-life balance

In the 2026 survey, we identified the best performing law firms for hours & work-life balance.

Methodology

For every firm taking part in our annual interview-based research, we also invite their trainees and NQs to respond to an online survey covering every aspect of law firm life. This year, our survey received 1,500 responses.

Respondents complete a series of questions asking about everything from their initial views on the firm and its competitors, to their relationships with partners and clients, to the firm's handling of training & development, seat experience, AI, hours, pay and qualification. We also ask them about their expectations, aspirations and how important all these factors were when joining the profession and how those views change as they mature. Each question involves a rating, which we agglomerate here for comparison.

The hours & work-life balance scores are a combination of all of the factors that can affect work-life balance at a law firm, including manageability and predictability of workload, autonomy around working patterns, remote working policy, and ability to take annual leave.

The top law firms for hours & work-life balance 2026