Solicitors are to be questioned on how rapid changes to the legal landscape are affecting their state of mind. The Law Society will include research on members’ wellbeing as part of its survey of the membership this summer.

A membership board report says the Society should provide personal support to its members in addition to campaigning and lobbying activities. ‘Burnout, stress, and physical and psychological illness represent a very significant economic cost to the profession in addition to the obvious personal cost to individual solicitors,’ the report says.

Hilary Tilby, chief executive of the lawyers’ support charity LawCare, said there had been a spike in calls and emails from the profession following the economic downturn in 2009 and, while the initial surge has receded in recent months, she expects increases this year.