Welcome to your December wellbeing spotlight

Each month we’ll put a spotlight on wellbeing news, thoughts, events and support from across the Bar and further afield:

Spotlight

Wellbeing – a pillar of practice 

With her background in family law and mediation, Bar Chair Barbara Mills KC is keen to see wellbeing become a core competency of legal practice. Throughout 2025 she has made it one of her top priorities to champion.

To mark the progress that has been made, Barbara hosted a Chair’s event on 13 November 2025 (pictured above, with speakers Phil Jones and Gerard Wood MC) to share updates on key projects and set out her vision for the future.

Read her latest Counsel magazine article based on her event speech.

News

Family legal aid barristers at breaking point, Bar Council warns

A new Bar Council report has warned that family legal aid is becoming unsustainable, with many barristers saying they would leave publicly funded work “in a heartbeat” if they were able to do so.

The report highlights how low pay forces barristers to take on excessive caseloads, increasing the risk of burnout and undermining their ability to properly support clients at critical moments, particularly in cases involving children and domestic abuse.

Thoughts

• This year’s Bar Council Chair Barbara Mills KC has been passionate about promoting wellbeing as a priority across the profession. She has shared her own story about coming into the world of wellbeing, trauma-informed practice and mediation, following a difficult case.

• Listen to the first episode of The Legal Pause and hear Nick Gallagher, CEO of The Solicitor’s Charity, chat to Elizabeth Rimmer, CEO of LawCare, about the wellbeing challenges facing legal professionals.

• Dr Lipi Roy writes for Forbes on addition and burnout in the legal sector in the US and further afield.

Events

Trauma-informed practice training – January / February 2026

To support barristers, clerks and chambers staff, we have launched new trauma-informed training sessions, which will take place online:

• Training for barristers: Wednesday 21 January and Tuesday 3 February
• Training for clerks and chambers staff: Wednesday 28 January

Let’s talk about anxiety webinar – LawCare – Thursday 5 February 2026

LawCare is hosting a free webinar exploring what anxiety looks like in the legal sector and practical ways to cope.

Support 

• Useful contacts – Christmas and mental health
• Assistance Programme – Wellbeing at the Bar
• Helpline opening times over Christmas and New Year – LawCare

Got a wellbeing event coming up? Want to share your story? Contact us