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LawCare

LawCare operates through a freephone helpline. The service is free and is available from 9am to 7.30pm Monday to Friday and from 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday, 365 days a year, and is completely confidential. LawCare can be contacted on 0800 018 4299; www.LawCare.org.uk.

What is LawCare?
 
Lawyers helping Lawyers

21st century communications and technology are meant to aid you, but are they actually adding to the pressures in your professional life?

Are you coping with the expectations of those around you that you should always be totally in control?

Are you creating even more pressure with the high standards and expectations that you have of your own performance?

These factors can, individually or together, lead to:

• Stress
• Depression
• Feelings of helplessness and inability to cope
• Alcohol abuse
• Drug abuse
• Strained professional and personal relationships.

LawCare's experience

• 75% of the calls received by LawCare are from lawyers suffering from intolerable stress

• 80% of those seeking help from LawCare for alcohol abuse/addiction blame the problem on work related stress

• 30% of male lawyers and 20% of female lawyers drink to excess

• alcohol-related deaths amongst the legal profession are double the national average

• lawyers, as a profession, have the highest national mortality rate related to chronic liver disease and other alcohol-related diseases.

• the death rate from cirrhosis, amongst lawyers, is double the national average

• LawCare statistics show that those contacting us have usually cut their alcohol intake by at least 35 - 50% within three months of their first call

• frequently, the stress, depression and/or alcohol/drug abuse has put careers and marriages or personal relationships at risk

• a common cry amongst callers to LawCare is "I cannot cope. I feel utterly trapped. I have nowhere to go and no one to turn to"

LawCare

Now there is someone to help you, because those manning the Helplines at LawCare are lawyers themselves, only too well aware of, and experienced in, the pressures created by life in practice. They are there to talk with you, not at you; to help you identify the sources of your problem and to assist you in finding possible solutions.

Who are LawCare?

• LawCare is, for administrative purposes, a company limited by guarantee

• most importantly, it is a registered charity that is funded by the General Council of the Bar of England and Wales, the Law Societies of England and Scotland, ILEX and the DCA

• these bodies have recognised the enormous pressures to which their members are subject and the very serious consequences that can result from those pressures in personal and professional terms

• there is a freephone Helpline for members of the Bar to call - 0800 018 4299 - for an absolutely confidential discussion about any problems causing concern

• under no circumstances will anything discussed be disclosed to the Bar Council, chambers, or anyone else

• you can have the freedom of being completely honest with yourself, and LawCare, about any problems besetting you

• or you can log on to our website - www.lawcare.org.uk - and contact us via the e-mail link from that site
   
• read the really useful articles about identifying and beating depression; how to cope with panic attacks; aspects of alcohol abuse and treatment; identifying and coping with stress; links to other help and support groups (Samaritans, MinD, Al-anon, narcotics anonymous etc)

• you can access this information 24 hours a day, with no obligation take the matter any further unless you wish to do so.

So, if you need help, know someone who does, or if you have suffered and recovered from a health problem and are now willing to volunteer to support others with a similar difficulty, please do contact us.

Helpline: 0800 018 4299  (Mon to Fri 9am - 7.30pm; Sat + Sun 10am - 4pm) 

Office:  0870 774 3663  (Mon to Fri 9am - 5.30pm)

E-mail: admin@lawcare.org.uk 

What else can LawCare offer you?

Free (except for expenses) and CPD accredited stress recognition and management training, ranging from 1 hour to 5 hours, at your chambers, special interest group or Circuit. Phone the LawCare office line for details.
Website: www.lawcare.org.uk

Thanks are due to LawCare for providing this article